Challenger Champions Georgia Southern Past Cajuns, 2-1

Redshirt sophomore Evan Challenger came into Friday night's contest with Louisiana with a 1.04 ERA.

It wasn't a fluke.

The lefty stymied the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, allowing just one hit through seven innings as Georgia Southern defeated the Cajuns 2-1 before 4,033 at M. L. "Tigue" Moore Field.

Challenger (3-0) allowed a leadoff homer to Stefan Trosclair and then retired fourteen straight batters before Tyler Girouard's two out single in the fifth.  Only two more batters reached base before he was relieved after issuing a leaadoff walk in the eighth.

The Eagles (18-13, 8-5 Sun Belt) got on the board in the first inning off Cajuns' starter Gunner Leger (3-2) when Kody Adams deposited Leger's first pitch into right field for a base hit.  Aaron Mizell then hit a sharp grounder to Greg Davis at first base.  Davis stepped on the bag but his throw to second was off target and the Cajuns failed to complete the double play.  Chase Griffin then singled off Leger's glove and Hunter Thomas laid down a sacrifice bunt to give the Eagles the 1-0 lead.

Trosclair hammered Challenger's first pitch over the wall in left field for his second homer of the season to tie the game in the bottom of the inning.

The game then turned into a pitcher's duel, with Leger working out of trouble in the third and fifth innings.  Back to back singles with two out in the third gave the Eagles a chance, but Leger got Dalton Busey to fly out to Dylan Butler in right.  Kent Rollins led off the fifth with a single and was sacrificed to second by Adams.  But Leger struck out Mizell and got Griffin to fly out.

In the eighth, Mizell led off with a single and reached second on a hit and run grounder to short.  A wild pitch moved him to third and after Thomas walked, Busey laid down a bunt.  Leger's throw was off line allowing Mizell to score what proved to be the winning run.  The bunt was Georgia Southern's fourth successful sacrifice of the game.  They entered the contest with only nine on the season.

The Cajuns (15-12, 7-5) had an opportunity in the sixth when Derek Herrington's fly ball was misplayed in center field.  Trosclair sacrificed him to second, but Herrington was caught off second base in a rundown.

Challenger issued the leadoff walk in the eighth and was replaced by Jason Richman.  Girouard hit a ball off Richman's glove with Dylan Butler taking second.  Joe Robbins was hit by a pitch, but Richman struck out pinch hitter Kennon Fontenot and got Trosclair to hit into a force play to end the inning.

The Cajuns had one more chance in the ninth when Blake Trahan singled with one out, extending his hitting streak to eighteen games.  But Greg Davis' hard grounder to short was a perfect double play ball and the Eagles turned it over to end the contest.

Leger went a career long 7.2 innings, scattering eight hits with one walk and one strikeout.  Challenger struck out nine and walked one, allowing just two hits in his seven innings of work.

The two teams will play game two of their series Saturday evening at 6:05pm.