LAFAYETTE, La. – The Ragin' Cajuns built a 7-1 lead through five innings and held on for a 7-4 win over ULM Saturday afternoon at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
The Cajuns (23-8 overall, 10-1 Sun Belt Conference) were led by a 3-for-4 day from Preseason Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Kyle DeBarge, who hit two home runs and a double while driving in three runs. Jose Torres added two hits while John Taylor and Trey LaFleur also homered.
The Cajuns received another strong start on the mound, as freshman Chase Morgan (3-1) threw 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on four this with no walks and two strikeouts. David Christie fired 1 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, giving up an unearned run on one hit with two strikeouts and one walk, while Matthew Holzhammer earned his fourth save with two perfect innings to close out the game.
ULM (15-16, 3-8) was limited to five hits for the second-straight game, but scratched across four runs with
Shawn Dalton Weatherbee,
Colby Lunsford,
Easton Winfield and
Kade Dupont all picking up RBIs.
Beau Blanchard (1-3) took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits with a career-high six strikeouts and one walk in four innings.
Aidan Haynes threw two shutout innings with one hit, two strikeouts and one walk, while
Dalton Hitt allowed just one walk with one strikeout in a scoreless inning.
The Cajuns opened the scoring in the first inning with LaFleur's solo homerun. DeBarge followed with a double, stole third and scored on Lee Amedee's RBI groundout for the 2-0 lead.
ULM cut the gap in half in the third inning as
Matt Abshire led off with a single past third base and
Jayson Zmejkoski added a bunt single. The pair moved up a base on a steal, and Abshire scored on Weatherbee's RBI groundout to get within a run, 2-1.
The Cajuns added to the lead in the fourth as DeBarge hit a solo home run to extend the lead to 3-1.
In the fifth inning, Caleb Stelly walked with one out for the Cajuns before Taylor hit a 2-run homer. After LaFleur was hit by a pitch, DeBarge blasted a 2-run homer to make it 7-1.
ULM tried to mount a comeback. Weatherbee hit a fly ball to right field in the sixth inning, but the right fielder dropped the ball, allowing Weatherbee to reach second base. Lunsford followed with an RBI triple to center to make it 7-2. Winfield then singled up the middle to plate Lunsford to cut the gap to 7-3. However, a lineout into a double play with the hit-and-run on brought a sudden end to the inning.
The Warhawks added another run in the seventh.
Bryce Blaser led off with a single. He stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Torres before scoring on Dupont's RBI groundout to make it 7-4. Abshire followed with a walk and stole second but was stranded there to end the inning. ULM never had another baserunner.
The series concludes at 1 p.m. Sunday at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
