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MOBILE, Ala. – Matt Goulas’ (New Iberia, La.) RBI flare single to shallow right field in the ninth scored the go-ahead run as the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns claimed their first Sun Belt series win at South Alabama since 2000 with an 8-6 win Sunday at Stanky Field.
Louisiana (20-19, 10-11 Sun Belt) has won eight of the last nine meetings in the series and improve to 12-34 all-time at South Alabama (22-18, 9-9 Sun Belt).
Sophomore reliever Justin Robichaux (Crowley, La.) was masterful in his return to the mound tossing 1 1/3 innings of perfect relief. Robichaux (1-0) struck out two of the final four Jaguars to seal his first win of the season.
South Alabama’s Greg Johnson (1-2) suffered the loss, allowing three runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Goulas finished 2-for-6 with the eventual game-winning RBI. Matt Hicks (Houston, Texas) recorded a career-high four hits to finish 4-for-5 with a RBI. Josh Logan (Magee, Miss.) was 3-for-6 with two runs scored, while William Long (Valrico, Fla.) went 2-for-4 with a solo home run.
Both starting pitchers dueled to a no-decision Sunday. South Alabama tagged Louisiana freshman Michael Cook (Lafayette, La.) for four runs on seven hits through five innings. Cook struck out three Jaguars, while walking one. Likewise, the Cajuns rattled USA starter Brandon Sage for four runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Louisiana left five runners on base through the first two innings and had no runs to show for it. Logan reached on a lead-off fielding error by Ryne Jernigan and, two batters later, Scott Hawkins (Collierville, Tenn.) drew a one-out walk. However, Sage retired the next two Cajuns to end the inning.
A pop up behind the catcher by Goulas squandered a bases-loaded opportunity for the Cajuns in the second inning. With two outs, Blaine LaFleur (Opelousas, La.) drew a full-count walk before moving to second on a Long single through the left side.
A seeing-eye single from Long loaded the bases for the freshman Goulas who ended the Cajuns threat with the foul fly out.
South Alabama scratched the scoreboard first in the home half of the second, 1-0. Ryan Bohanan dropped a one-out single in front of Nolan Gisclair (Marrero, La.) in right field. After a Ryan McCrory double down the left field line, Bohanan crossed home on a RBI sacrifice fly from Chris Davis.
Hawkins’ lead-off walk in the third inning resulted in a tie ballgame. Hicks drove in the game-tying run on a RBI single to left field scoring Hawkins on the play.
Louisiana took its first lead of the game in the fourth, going ahead by a 3-1 count. After a LaFleur strikeout led off the inning, Long crushed an opposite-field home run off the top of the right field wall for a 2-1 Cajuns lead. Logan followed with a double to left field and later came around to score after stealing third and advancing home on a David Doss throwing error.
The Cajuns widened their lead to three runs, 4-1, in the fifth. Hicks drilled a double down the left field line which moved Chance Harst (Lafayette, La.) to third. However, the relay throw was muffed by Jernigan allowing Harst to score for the three-run lead.
Jake Overstreet’s RBI double into the right-center gap pulled the Jaguars to within two runs, 4-2, in the bottom of the fifth.
South Alabama pulled even with the Cajuns in the sixth, 4-4. Cook gave up a double to Clint Toomey, a RBI triple to Doss and a RBI single to Jernigan before leaving the game. Glass then promptly retired the next three Jaguars batters to stop the bleeding and keep the score tied at four all.
Louisiana regained the lead in the seventh when pinch-hitter Dillon Guillory (Scott, La.) drilled a ball through the legs of Bohanan at first to score Hicks for a 5-4 Cajuns lead. Bohanan’s miscue was the fourth South Alabama error on the day.
Jordan Poirrier (Reserve, La.) later drove in an insurance run for the Cajuns with a pinch-hit RBI single through the right side for a 6-4 lead in the eighth. South Alabama tied the game again in the bottom of the eighth on Ryan McCrory’s two-run double to straightaway center over the head of Logan, 6-6.
The lead teetered back to the Cajuns side in the ninth. With two on and one out, Goulas flared a single into shallow right field to score Guillory for a 7-6 lead. On the ensuing play, the Cajuns went ahead by two, 8-6, on a Hawkins shot to right field. Davis dove in an attempt to catch Hawkins’ fly ball, but the first base umpire ruled that he did not which allowed Logan to score from third. However, Hawkins went back to the dugout without making it to first base and was ruled out on the play.
Louisiana returns to action Tuesday when the Ragin’ Cajuns visit the Lamar Cardinals at Vincent-Beck Stadium in Beaumont, Texas. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
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Chris Yandle
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