Clement’s 4 RBI leads Cajuns over Arkansas State, 6-1

Kyle Clement used the long ball and the bunt to drive in four runs as the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns completed a 3-1 road week by defeating Arkansas State 6-1 Sunday afternoon at Tomlinson Stadium in Jonesboro, AR.

Clement snapped a 1-1 tie with a two run homer in the sixth inning, then laid down a bunt that resulted in a double squeeze as the Cajuns took the final two games of the series.

"All the credit goes to J. T. (assistant coach Jeremy Talbot) for those two calls.  We had the confidence that Clem could get it done, and he did,: head coach Tony Robichaux said.

Starter Nick Lee (5-1 worked 5.2 innings to get the win, allowing two hits and one unearned run.  He walked five and struck out eight.  Eric Carter recorded his first career save, allowing just one hit with five strikeouts over the final 3.1 innings.

Starter Cody Jackson (0-1), who gave up the homer to Clement, took the loss.  He gave up three runs, one earned, on two hits.  He walked two and struck out two.

Louisiana (18-10 8-4 Sun Belt) was held scoreless untl the fifth when Stefan Trosclair led off with a walk and Steven Sensley singled him to third.  Trosclair scored on Brenn Conrad's safety squeeze bunt to give the Cajuns a 1-0 lead.

Arkansas State (13-14, 4-8) tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Ty White doubled to left field with one out.  He stole third and continued to run when the ball got away from catcher Nick Thurman.  Thurman then threw wildly to the plate to allow the run to score.

Joe Robbins reached on an error by Red Wolves' shortstop Tim Seldomridge with two out in the sixth and went to second on a wild pitch.  Clement got the green light on a 3-0 pitch and homered to right field.  It was his first home run of the season and the Cajuns took a 3-1 lead.

Lee got the first two outs in the sixth, but then issued back to back walks.  Carter came on at that point and struck out pinch hitter Nick Lambert on three pitches to end the threat.

The Cajuns put the game away in the eighth against reliever Coulton Lee when Thurman led off with a single and was forced by Kennon Fontenot.  Fontenot took second on a wild pitch.  Pinch hitter Ishmael Edwards struck out, but reached when catcher Frankie Alvarez lost the ball after tagging Edwards out.  Joe Robbins was intentionally walked to load the bases.  The runners moved up on a passed ball with Fontenot scoring and Clement then laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt with the runners in motion to score Edwards and Robbins for the final margin.

The Cajuns will return home for a Tuesday contest against Northwestern State beginning at 6:00pm.