Cajuns batter App State to open weekend set

BOONE, N.C. – Heath Hood and Julian Brock hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball team erupted for nine runs over the final four innings to claim a 14-3 win over App State in the opening game of a Sun Belt Conference series on Friday at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.

Carson Roccaforte went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run in the seventh inning while Brandon Talley and three relievers helped Louisiana (24-16, 13-6 SBC) win its fourth straight game and improved to 15-5 over its last 20 games.

Louisiana, which pounded out 14 hits, scored a pair of runs in the first inning off App State starter Tyler Tuthill (1-5) before adding a run in the second to break a 2-2 contest. The Ragin’ Cajuns increased their lead when Hood hit a solo home run to left field before Brock hit his fourth home run of the season to push Louisiana’s lead to 5-2.

Hood, who finished 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBI, drove in Kyle DeBarge with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning before Roccaforte followed in the seventh with his team-leading 11th home run of the year.

Brock, who went 3-for-5 at the plate and drove in a career-high four RBI, doubled to left in the eighth inning to drive in Hood before delivering a two-run single in the ninth to drive in pinch-runner Conor Higgs and Hood.

Talley (3-3), who improved to 3-0 in SBC games, scattered seven hits and struck out three in five innings of work to earn the victory. Bo Bonds, Chipper Menard and David Christie combined to limit App State (14-25, 5-14 SBC) to a pair of hits over the final four innings.

The Mountaineers trailed 2-0 after a half inning before tying the game in the bottom half of the first. Austin St. Laurent doubled to left to drive in Luke Drumheller before Andrew Greckel’s RBI single tied the game.

Tuthill took the loss for App State allowing five runs on four hits with one strikeout and five walks. St. Laurent and Dylan Rogers had two hits each for the Mountaineers while Hayden Cross added an RBI single in the fifth.

The series resumes on Saturday when the teams play in a 2 p.m. CT contest. Louisiana will send Jacob Schultz (2-3, 3.19 ERA) to the mound with App State countering with Trey Tujetsch (3-3, 3.66 ERA).

Fans can listen to the game in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5), the Varsity Network and the #GeauxCajuns app. Live statistics will be available at CajunStats.com.