Cajuns’ Pitchers Shut Down UALR in 7-0 Win

Three Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns pitchers scattered eight hits, and the Cajuns' lineup produced runs in six of their eight at bats as the top ranked Cajuns shut out UALR 7-0 Friday night before a crowd of 3,817 at M. L. "Tigue" Moore Field.

Carson Baranik (8-0) allowed just five hits over six innings with two walks and six strikeouts in a 100 pitch performance.  Chris Griffitt allowed one hit in 0.2 innings of work before Matt Plitt gave up a pair of hits in 2.1 innings.  Cajuns' pitchers combined to strike out ten in the contest.

The Cajuns got single runs in each of the first five innings off losing pitcher Travis McDonald (2-4) with three of the runs produced with two outs.

Louisiana (32-4, 12-1 Sun Belt) got two hits each from Ryan Leonards, Seth Harrison, Dylan Butler and Evan Powell.  Chase Compton came off the bench to collect three RBI for the Cajuns.

The Trojans (13-18,. 3-10) left two men on base in four different innings and stranded eleven total base runners.

The Cajuns got on the board in the first inning when Ryan Leonards beat out a bunt with one out.  After Seth Harrison walked and Caleb Adams flied out, Butler delivered a two out single to give the Cajuns a 1-0 lead.

Powell led off the second with a long home run to left to make the score 2-0 and the Cajuns added another run on a Harrison double and another two out single by Butler to increase the lead to 2-0.

In the fourth inning, it was another two out hit for the Cajuns as Powell singled, was sacrificed to second and after Michael Strentz grounded out, Blane Trahan ripped a base hit to make the score 4-0.

In the fifth, Caleb Adams walked, which increased his streak of reaching base to 30 consecutive games.  He eventually scored on a pinch hit RBI groundout by Compton to get another run on the board.  Compton came across again in the seventh when he came up with the bases loaded and one out and got two runs home on a suicide squeeze bunt to end the scoring.

The Cajuns got a scare in the fifth inning when Butler was injured running into the brick wall in foul territory at the edge of the box seats in right field.  Butler lay on the ground for several minutes before being removed by a cart.  The leg injury was diagnosed as a deep bruise.  Ryan Wilson, slated to be the Cajuns' Saturday starting pitcher, entered the game to replace Butler and reached base twice and scored a run.

Conrad extended his consecutive games streak of reaching base to 26 with his seventh inning walk.  However, the Cajuns' second baseman went 0-2, ending his hitting streak at 19 games.  Adams' eleven game hit streak also came to an end.  However, Trahan (7), Leonards (9), Harrison (11) and Powell (4) all extended their hitting streaks in the contest.

The win increased the Cajuns' lead to four games in the league with the win, and Arkansas State's loss to South Alabama. The Cajuns will go for the series win in a 6:00 contest Saturday night at "The Tigue."