BATON ROUGE, La. – The Ragin’ Cajuns accomplished the near-impossible Wednesday night, knocking off the No. 3 LSU Tigers in a thrilling 10-9 game that finished much closer than it started. LSU mounted a six-run comeback after getting down 9-3 after the top of the fifth, but the Cajuns answered the tie with a ninth-inning home run from senior slugger Scott Hawkins.

The Cajuns had not defeated an opponent ranked so highly since a 3-2 victory over South Carolina in the Columbia, S.C., NCAA Super Regional in 2000. The Cajuns improve to 6-7-1 on the season while LSU falls to 11-3.

Scott Hawkins provided the night’s offensive highlight with the game-winning run on a leadoff blast over the left field bleachers in the ninth inning, just after LSU’s Sean Ochinko tied the game in the eighth with a two-run homer of his own. The home run was third of the game for the Cajuns, and the fourth overall in the game.

Hawkins moved into a second-place tie on the all-time home runs list for the Cajuns at 36 career dingers. He stands even with Damian Grossie.

Hawkins had just one RBI, but it was the one that mattered. Other leading Cajuns included Les Smith (2-4, one RBI), Chad Keefer (2-4), and Travis Whipple (1-5, three RBI). Whipple smacked his first career home run in the first inning, while Thad Griffen (1-4) hit his first career bomb in the third.

Luke Wagley (1-1) earned the win on two innings, four hits, three runs (all earned), one walk and two strikeouts. Blake Wascom picked up his first save with two strikeouts and one hit allowed, entering in the ninth to close the game.

Alex Fuselier was the Cajuns’ starter on the bump, throwing 4 1/3 innings and allowing, five runs, all earned, on six hits, four walks and two strikeouts.

LSU’s Matty Ott (1-1) took the loss on Hawkins’ home run, and finished with just one inning under his belt, giving up just the home run and striking two Cajuns out.

Travis Whipple started the Cajuns off with a bang, belting a three-run home run, the first of his career, over the right field wall into a strong wind in the top of the first with two down, giving the Cajuns an instant 2-0 lead.

In the bottom half of the first, Fuselier got out of a two-on, one-out situation when he induced a 5-4-3 double play off the bat of LSU first baseman Sean Ochinko.

The Tigers first got on the board in the bottom of the second, thanks to a Tyler Hanover sacrifice fly, scoring Micah Gibbs from third with one out.

Rain interrupted the game after two complete with the Cajuns ahead 4-1. The delay was the second of Louisiana’s season, the first coming on Feb. 21, in game two of the Nebraska doubleheader. That delay lasted one hour and one minute, while Wednesday’s lasted three minutes shy at 58 total.

Thad Griffen padded the lead with a three-run jack in the top of the third, extending the advantage to 7-1.

Alex Fuselier scored from third on Les Smith’s two-out infield single, opening the lead to 8-1 heading to the bottom of the fourth.

The first two batters of the Tigers’ fourth both reached on walks off of Fuselier, The first to cross scored on a double by Tyler Hanover, and the second on a sacrifice fly to make the score 8-3.

The Cajuns answered in the fifth with an unearned run when Chad Keefer scored from second, moving to third on a wild pitch and coming home when the catcher’s throw to third bounced into the outfield, leaving the Cajuns with a 9-3 lead.

LSU again plated their first two batters in the fifth. After Fuselier allowed two singles, Blake Haagen entered in relief and allowed a third straight single before hitting the next batter to force in a run. An RBI groundout in the next at bat brought in another to close LSU with four runs at 9-5.

No one scored again until the seventh inning, when the Tigers’ shortened the Cajuns’ lead to two at 9-7 with a two-run inning. Wagley entered for Haagen with a runner on base and allowed two hits to score two runs, one counting against Haagen.

The game went even when Sean Ochinko launched a two-run home run off of Wagley in the eighth, ushering in a new game. The tie was not long-lived, as Hawkins’ game-winning blast came in the top of the ninth.

The Cajuns host Florida Atlantic for a three-game series this weekend in continuing Sun Belt Conference action.


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