It was a great night for Barbe High School.

Lake Charles products Gunner Leger and Kennon Fontenot were the catalysts as the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns shut out the 2016 National Champions Coastal Carolina 1-0 Friday night at Springs Brooks Stadium.

The game paired the two best pitchers in the Sun Belt Conference and the two didn't disappoint as Leger (6-1) outdueled Alex Cunningham (4-1) as the Cajuns (18-12, 7-3 Sun Belt) took the first game of the three game series before an announced crowd of 2,191.

Leger got the only run he would need from his former high school teammate as Kennon Fontenot hit an opposite field home run with two out in the second inning.  It was Fontenot's second homer of the year.  It was one of only three hits given up by Cunningham, who struck out eleven and walked only one in eight innings of work.

Leger, meanwhile, allowed just two singles over seven innings and allowed just two runners to reach second base.  He walked two, both in the first inning and struck out two

"You can't say enough about Gunner," head coach Tony Robichaux said.  "He's been a model of consistency and gives us a chance to win every time.".

Wyatt Marks pitched a perfect eighth inning with two strikeouts, while Dylan Moore retired the side in order in the ninth, notching his seventh save of the season.

The Cajuns had a couple of other chances to score as Louisiana got a single from Handsome Monica, who was sacrificed to second and went to third on a balk.  Ishmael Edwards walked, but Brenn Conrad popped into a fielder's choice and Joe Robbins struck out to end the inning.

Coastal had just three runners reach base in the final seven innings and didn't have a runner advance past first base during that time.

The Cajuns and Chanticleers will play game two of their series tomorrow at 1 pm CDT.  The game can be heard on 96.5 KPEL-FM with pre game at 12:30.

 

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