After Tuesday's loss to LSU, Louisiana head coach Tony Robichaux said if the Cajuns aren't going to hit, they have to pitch and play defense to have a chance to win.

Thursday night the Cajuns didn't hit.  But the rest of the game fell into place and the Cajuns came away with a 4-2 win over Georgia State in the opener of their three game series at M. L. "Tigue" Moore Field.

The Cajuns (13-9, 4-3 Sun Belt) snapped a three game losing streak with the win, while Georgia State dropped to 12-10, 2-2 in league play.

Dylan Moore (2-1) got the victory with two innings of shutout ball.  Reliever Bryce Conley (4-2) took the loss for the Panthers.

The Cajuns managed only two hits in the contest, but took advantage of Conley's wildness to score two runs without benefit of a hit in the eighth inning.

Stefan Trosclair was hit by a pitch to start the inning and stole second.  Brenn Conrad walked and the two moved up on a wild pitch.  After Joe Robbins struck out, Conley walked Steven Sensley to load the bases and then walked Ishmael Edwards on four pitches to score Trosclair with what proved to be the winning run.  Nick Thurman greeted reliever Garrett Ford with a sacrifice fly to deep center, scoring Conrad.

The Cajuns took a 2-0 lead in the first inning off Georgia State starter Wayne Wages when Trosclair led off by reaching on an error by third baseman Jarrett Hood.  Conrad forced Trosclair but Robbins then hit a ball to center field that appeared to bounce over the fence but was ruled a home run by second base umpire Ralph Minard.  After a lengthy meeting of all four umpires, the call stood, putting the Cajuns on the board..

Cajuns' starter Wyatt Marks kept the Panthers off the board until the sixth when James Clements led off with his second hit of the game.  Joey Roach then doubled to score Clements, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Ryan Blanton's sacrifice fly to tie the game at two apiece.  Georgia State got a runner as far as third base in the seventh before WIll Bacon came on to get a strikeout to end the threat.

Wages kept the Cajuns bottled up as he threw seven innings, giving up two hits and two runs, one earned.  He walked one and fanned six.  Marks matched him, giving up two runs on six hits in 6.2 innings.  He walked three and struck out six.

Moore came on and retired the Panthers in order in the eighth.  He hit a batter with one out in the ninth, but got pinch hitter Nick Gatewood to hit into a double play to end the game.

Game two of the series will be held Friiday night at 6pm.

 

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