The Ragin’ Cajuns from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette were able to get the best of the Lions baseball last week in a home-and-away midweek series. Due to a rescheduled game from earlier in the season, the two teams met up in consecutive matchups with each team hosting the other once.
Southeastern was riding a five-game losing streak entering the first game of the series last Tuesday night as the two teams met up at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field. Kyle Keller began on the mound for the Lions. Opposite Keller was Matt Hicks for ULL. The no. 2 ranked Ragin’ Cajuns got off to a hot start as they scored two runs in the first inning and tacked on an extra run in the second.
The Lions did not have an answer for the runs put up early by ULL. Gaining hits was no problem for Southeastern, it was running bases that hurt the team, a problem the Lions have faced many times this season. Jacob Seward was the singled in the first inning in hopes of getting the bats rolling for Southeastern, but was picked off at first moments later by Hicks. It would not be until the fifth inning that the Lions managed to get on the board. Jameson Fisher knocked a double into right field to drive in Seward and get Southeastern started.
ULL came right back in the sixth with a run off of a sacrifice fly by Caleb Adams. The crowd came awake in the bottom of the sixth as Brett Hoffman scored a lone homerun over the right field wall.
“It felt good,” said Hoffman. “We needed to get something going and I wanted to be that spark.”
Game one began to look like the Lions would upset ULL in the eighth inning. Southeastern brought three runs home to bring the score to 5-4 in the Lion’s favor. The Ragin’ Cajuns silenced the raucous crown with their turn at bat in the ninth inning. With two outs on the board, Chase Compton homered to right field with one man on base to give the lead to ULL. The Lions were unable to muster another comeback and fell to the Ragin’ Cajuns 6-5.
“I thought we came out a little timid to begin with,” said Head Coach Matt Riser. “The difference there in the ninth inning was they were a confident bunch.”
ULL hosted Southeastern in Lafayette the following night for the second game between the two teams. There was no shortage of hits in this game as both teams would have over 10 hits and combine for 18 runs between the two clubs. Gabe Von Rosenberg started on the mound for the Lions and opposite him was Reagan Bazar for ULL. The Ragin’ Cajuns got off to a hot start once again by scoring early. This go round the Lions were prepared to answer and after two innings, ULL was ahead 5-3.
The Lions did not give up. Down 10-4 in the seventh inning, Southeastern opened up a brand new ballgame when Sam Roberson hit a grand slam bring the Lions within two runs. ULL would not let the upset happen and shut out the Lions the rest of the game to win the second game 10-8.
Lion baseball will take on the Nicholls State Colonels in another weekend series, with two games taking place at home. The first game is tonight, May 2 at 6 p.m. at Alumni Field. Sunday’s game will be at the same location, but at 1 p.m. Saturday’s game will be broadcast on KSLU 9.09 FM from Thibodaux.