Gunner Leger and Wyatt Marks combined on a five hit shutout Thursday night as the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns defeated the Arkansas State Red Wolves 8-0 in the opener of their three game Sun Belt Conference series.

Leger (7-1) went the first seven innings, allowing five hits.  He did not walk a man and struck out six.  Marks pitched two perfect innings with four strikeouts in earning his fourth save of the season before the largest paid attendance of the season, 5,285, at M. L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.

Leger didn't have his best stuff early, giving up four of the five hits during the first four innings, but didn't allow a runner to reach second in his final three innings of work.

"I was concerned, with one less day's rest and all the travel we had to do," head coach Tony Robichaux said.  "He (Leger) didn't come close to having his normal routine.  But he manages the game so well and made good pitches to get out of trouble early."

Arkansas State starter Bradey Welsh (1-1), making his first Sun Belt appearance of the season, held the Cajuns to just three runs over seven innings before tiring in the eighth.  He allowed ten hits and seven runs with three walks and three strikeouts.

The top of the lineup did the damage for the Cajuns, as the first three hitters in the Cajuns' lineup scored four runs, had seven hits and knocked in six runs.  Joe Robbins had three hits and two RBI for the Cajuns, while Ishmael Edwards and Brad Antchak each had two hits and two RBI.

"I thought our hitters did a great job again tonight," Robichaux said.  We got on the board early and added to the lead and then really did a good job against their reliever."

Louisiana (19-14-1, 8-4-1 Sun Belt) got to Welsh in the first inning as Antchak got a one out single and moved to third on Robbins' hit and run single.  Steven Sensley's ground ball was booted, scoring Antchak and moving Robbins to second.  Kennon Fontenot then delivered an RBI single to give the Cajuns a 2-0 lead.

The Cajuns increased the lead to 3-0 on a Robbins sacrifice fly and put the game away with five runs in the eighth inning.  Edwards greeted reliever Chase Nix with a two run single, Antchak added a two run double and Robbins had his third hit of the night to drive in the final run of the game.

 

 

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