UL – Sophomore first baseman Chance Harst crushed a pair of two-run home runs, while crafty left-hander Hunter Moody tossed eight masterful innings as the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns dominated the Troy Trojans 7-3 Friday night at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field.

Moody (7-2) allowed three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts through eight innings, tossing a game-high 124 pitches. Buddy Glass struck out two batters to close out the ninth inning.

Reigning Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week Tim Wheeler (3-5) suffered the defeat, allowing seven runs – five earned – on eight hits. Wheeler struck out a game-high eight batters in seven innings.

Harst finished 2-for-3 with a career-high two home runs and four RBI. Matt Goulas (New Iberia, La.) was the only other Cajun to record a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base.

Adam Bryant led the Trojans with a 2-for-4 night that included a two-run home run.

Following a scoreless first inning, the Cajuns scratched the scoreboard with a two-run second inning. Nolan Gisclair (Marrero, La.) roped a lead-off single through the left side for the first hit of the game. Harst then smashed a two-run home run halfway up the pine trees in left field for a 2-0 Cajuns lead.

In the fourth, Troy cut the lead in half, 2-1, on Daryl Otwell’s RBI groundout. Bryan Miller tagged Moody’s first offering of the inning as he sent a double to deep right-center. After moving to third on a groundout, Otwell plated Miller for the first Trojans run.

Troy hung two more runs on the board in the fifth to erase the Cajuns’ lead. With one out, Brock Kelly singled to center and later came around to score on Adam Bryant’s two-run homer to left. Bryant’s two-RBI blast gave Troy its first lead of the night, 3-2.

In the Louisiana sixth, the Cajuns regained a one-run lead, 4-3. Gisclair reached on a lead-off, two-base throwing error by Troy third baseman Brett Henry. A wild pitch later advanced Gisclair to third before eventually being caught in a rundown between third and home. Jordan Poirrier (Reserve, La.) tied the game at 3-3 with a RBI single to right field that scored Matt Hicks (Houston, Texas).

William Long (Valrico, Fla.) followed with the go-ahead RBI single to center, scoring Poirrier for the 4-3 Cajuns lead.

Louisiana put the game out of reach when the Cajuns hung a three-spot in the seventh. Goulas slapped a one-out single to right field and advanced to second on Scott Hawkins’ (Collierville, Tenn.) infield single. Goulas later moved to third on Gisclair’s fly out to deep right field.

With one out and the double steal on, Hawkins made his break to second which froze Wheeler. That allowed enough time for Goulas to break towards home as he slid safely past the tag of catcher Beau Brooks. Leading 5-3, Harst gave the Cajuns a much-needed boost with a two-run insurance homer for the final 7-3 count.

Louisiana and Troy will square off in game two of their Sun Belt Conference series Saturday for a 3 p.m. first pitch at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field. Saturday’s contest will be televised live on CST (Cox Channel 37) with Lyn Rollins (PxP) and Ronnie Rantz (Color).


RaginCajuns.com

Chris Yandle