In a low-scoring game, Texas State baseball (15-11, 4-3 Sun Belt Conference) was defeated in the opener in a three-game series by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (18-8, 6-1 Sun Belt Conference) Thursday evening at Bobcat Ballpark by a score of 4-1.
The win marks the ninth consecutive for the Ragin’ Cajuns and moves them into first place in the Sun Belt Conference rankings.
Making his seventh start of the season, Texas State redshirt junior pitcher Austin Eaton allowed two runs through 5.2 innings and recorded three strikeouts.
“I thought [Eaton] threw the ball well,” Texas State Head Coach Steven Trout said. “It’s a good offense, and we held them to four runs.”
It was yet another quiet game on the offensive side for the Bobcats, as they only scored one run while collecting five hits and leaving four runners on base altogether.
Louisiana-Lafayette junior pitcher Andrew Hermann got the start on the mound, giving up four hits and an unearned run in 5.2 innings of work.
Junior pitcher L.P. Langevin replaced Herrmann to pitch the final 3.1 innings, striking out six Bobcat batters en route to his second save of the season.
“[Louisiana pitcher Andrew Herrmann] is different. He’s a lefty, he throws a lot of different speeds, a lot of funky stuff,” Head Coach Steven Trout said. “Sometimes I thought we were not having a great approach. With those guys [you’ve] got to take advantage of all your opportunities.”
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning when an RBI double by junior infielder Daylan Pena allowed the Bobcats to score their only run.
However, that lead didn’t last for long. In the top of the fifth, Louisiana’s junior outfielder, Conor Higgs, started the Ragin’ Cajuns’ scoring with a game-tying homer. In the top of the sixth, Louisiana’s sophomore infielder Lee Amedee hit an RBI double, making the score 2-1, before a pitching change for the Bobcats. After a fielding error, Amedee scored, making the lead 3-1.
The score stayed the same until the top of the ninth arrived when Louisiana’s John Taylor executed a suicide squeeze bunt for a 4-1 cushion. The Bobcats went on to have all three batters strike out in the bottom of the ninth to secure the victory for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Texas State will look to even the series in the second game of the series.
The opening pitch for game two between Texas State and Louisiana-Lafayette is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, Mar. 29, at Bobcat Ballpark. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
