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UL is winning 7-4 after batting in the 6th

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8-5 UL wins

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Louisiana's Micah Cockrell drove in five runs to lead Cajuns to second straight Sun Belt series win

JONESBORO, Ark. - A grand slam by Micah Cockrell and a solo home run by Jonathan Lucroy jumpstarted the offense, leading the No. 17-ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns to an 8-5 victory over Arkansas State and another Sun Belt Conference series win here Sunday afternoon at Tomlinson Stadium.

Louisiana (25-6, 4-2 Sun Belt) scored five runs in the first three innings, while Arkansas State (20-10, 2-4 Sun Belt) scored four runs in the first third of the game. However, the Cajuns would prevail, scoring three runs in the latter four innings.

Brandt Sanders (1-0) earned his first win of the season, going 2 2/3 innings. Sanders allowed one run on two hits with three walks and a strikeout. Thad Montgomery earned his second save of the season, going 3 2/3 innings, while allowing just one base runner.

Arkansas State starting pitcher Andrew Bishop (3-1) received the loss, allowing four runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings.

Brett Kinning led off the Arkansas State first inning with a single to left field. Kinning moved over to second base on Mike Sirianni's ground out. Chris Rich's single put runners on the corners with one out. Geoff Desmond plated Kinning with a sacrifice fly to center field, giving the Indians a 1-0 lead.

Four runs came across the plate for the Cajuns in the second inning. After a Dallas Morris ground out, Jonathan Lucroy drew a one-out walk, followed by a Justin Morgan single to center field. Phillip Hawke was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Micah Cockrell then cleared them with a grand slam over the left field wall, giving the Cajuns a 4-1 lead. It was the Cajuns' fourth four-bagger of the season. The Cajuns had three grand slams in 57 games last season.

John McCarthy singled to right field, followed by John Coker's single to left-center field. Josh Landry advanced the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt pushed towards second base. Justin Merendino walked to load the bases for the second time in the inning for the Cajuns.

Brandon Westmoreland then relieved Bishop on the mound for the Indians. Like he did to lead off the inning, Morris grounded out to end the second inning.

Louisiana's offense continued to flourish in the third inning. Lucroy took Westmoreland's first pitch of the inning of the left field fence, giving the Cajuns a 5-1 advantage.

Arkansas State scored three runs in the bottom of the third to get to within one run of the Cajuns. After a Sirianni ground out, Rich delivered the Indians' first home run of the series - a solo effort - over the left field fence. Desmond followed with a single to center field, followed by Hudson Smart's infield single. Kevin Kull's RBI single plated Desmond, cutting the Cajuns' lead to two, 5-3. Mike Williams, Jr. plated Smart to draw the Indians to within on run, 5-4.

Louisiana starting pitcher Buddy Glass didn't last through the third inning, as he was pulled in favor of Sanders. Glass allowed four runs on eight hits with one strikeout in 2 2/3 innings of work.

Louisiana again left the bases loaded in the fourth and was unable to drive in any runs, as the score remained at 5-4.

The Cajuns would retain a one-run lead until the sixth inning, when they plated two more runs to increase their lead to three, 7-4. Coker led off with a single to center field. After Landry flied out to left field, Doug Walter replaced Westmoreland on the mound for the Indians. Coker stole second and later scored on a Merendino infield single. Merendino advanced to second on a throwing error by Rich. Morris plated Merendino with an RBI single up the middle. Morris was later thrown out in a 2-4-3 run down between first and second. Lucroy would later single to center field, but was stranded after Morgan grounded out to third base to end the inning.

Arkansas State scored one run in the sixth to cut the Cajuns' lead to 7-5 on a Kinning RBI double to left field to plate Isaac Dillon. With one out and two runners on base, Montgomery replaced Sanders, and after two pitches, got out of the inning on a 6-4-3 double play.

From there, Montgomery would shut down the Indians offense, allowing just one base runner over the last 3 2/3 innings with two strikeouts.

Louisiana scored an insurance run in the ninth inning behind a sacrifice fly to center field by Cockrell, plating Morgan for an 8-5 Cajuns lead.

Coker went 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Morris went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Lucroy went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored and Cockrell went 1-for-4 with a grand slam and five RBI.

Kinning led the Indians, going 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI, while Rich went 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns return to action Wednesday when they travel to Monroe to face the Louisiana-Monroe Indians in a 6:30 p.m. first pitch at Indian Field.

LOUISIANA SI