Cajuns extend win streak to 13 with 4-1 victory over ULM

Amedee’s three hits fuels 10-hit attack; Herrmann, Langevin combine on five-hitter

LAFAYETTE – Andrew Herrmann and LP Langevin combined on a five-hitter while Lee Amedee collected three hits as Louisiana extended its win streak to 13 games with a 4-1 victory over in-state opponent ULM in the first game of a Sun Belt Conference series on Friday at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park.

Caleb Stelly drove in a pair of runs while Duncan Pastore added an RBI as Louisiana (22-8, 9-1 SBC) equaled its longest win streak since 2014 and matched its best 10-game start to conference play for the third time (2000, 2014) in school history.

The second game of the three-game series resumes on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will not be televised. Fans are able to listen to the game in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app.

Herrmann (3-1), making his third appearance as the Game 1 starter for Louisiana, fanned six batters over 6.2 innings and scattered all five hits while lowering his Sun Belt Conference-leading ERA down to 1.99 in 40.2 innings on the season.

Langevin closed out Louisiana’s 39th win in the last 42 games against ULM (15-15, 3-7 SBC) since 2013 with 2.1 innings of hitless relief with four strikeouts to notch his fourth save of the season.

“Credit (Andrew) Herrmann, because he’s given us a chance to go to LP all three Fridays,” head coach Matt Deggs said about his pitching duo. “He (Herrmann) could still be out there in reality … he was that good tonight.

“We gave up some two-strike knocks and then LP was just dirty, rotten there at the end.He was throwing heaters for strikes and was very efficient with a ton of attack.”

Louisiana had one base runner of the first three innings as ULM starter Cam Barlow (1-2) kept the Ragin’ Cajuns off-balance. Duncan Pastore’s single to center in the second inning was the lone base-runner off the Warhawk southpaw before Louisiana broke through with a pair of runs in the fourth.

Maddox Mandino and Kyle DeBarge reached on one-out singles in the fourth before Amedee doubled just inside the first-base line to drive in Mandino for a 1-0 lead. Pastore would cap off the two-run inning one batter later when he lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate DeBarge.

The Ragin’ Cajuns added an unearned run after ULM cut the lead to 2-1 in the fifth when Josh Alexander reached on a fielder’s choice before moving to third on a Warhawk error. Stelly, who finished 1-for-2, lifted a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Alexander and give Louisiana a 3-1 advantage.

Stelly added a two-out RBI single in the seventh off ULM reliever Brandon Brewer when he drove in Conor Higgs, who led off the inning with an opposite-field double.

“We did enough offensively,” said Deggs. “Credit their guys (ULM), they pitched us tough tonight. I didn’t like our approach, especially early. We had to get right in the middle of the game and they responded with a couple of runs. It was a great game. Happy for our guys, happy for the fans. What a great crowd tonight. They were in it from the first pitch to the last.”

Barlow allowed five hits and struck out five in 5.0 innings for ULM with Parker Seay, Brewer and Zach Shaw combining to scatter five hits over the final 3.0 innings. Jake Haggard led the Warhawks at the plate going 2-for-3 with an RBI double with Easton Winfield, Michelle Artzberger and Bryce Blaser each collecting a hit.

Louisiana will send freshman left-hander Chase Morgan (2-1, 2.15 ERA) to the mound in Saturday’s contest with ULM countering with right-hander Beau Blanchard (1-2, 5.62 ERA).

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