First-place Cajuns defeat Bobcats for ninth straight victory

Ragin’ Cajuns move into sole possession of first place in Sun Belt standings

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Andrew Herrmann and LP Langevin combined on a five-hitter while Lee Amedee’s RBI double in a two-run sixth broke a 1-1 tie and helped Louisiana win its ninth straight game with a 4-1 win over Texas State in the opening game of a three-game Sun Belt Conference series on Thursday at Bobcat Ballpark.

The series continues on Friday with first pitch set for 6 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with fans able to listen to the game in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app.

Herrmann (2-1) kept Texas State (15-11, 4-3 SBC) off-balance after surrendering four hits and an unearned run through 5.2 innings of work. Langevin pitched the final 3.1 innings with six strikeouts for Louisiana (18-8, 6-1 SBC), which moved into sole possession of first place in the SBC standings, to earn his second save of the year.

“Our ability to attack the strike zone was the difference tonight,” head coach Matt Deggs said. “We were loud tonight (offensively), even our outs were loud. We were able to scratch and claw there.

“A great job by John (Taylor) executing a two-strike squeeze, but I thought Jose Torres was the player of the game. Just his leadership and his at-bats. Everything he did was gritty tonight.”

Herrmann allowed a leadoff triple to Texas State’s Kameron Weil in the first inning but got out of the jam without giving up a run for the Ragin’ Cajuns. The left-hander was aided by a pair of double plays in his second-longest outing of the season.

Texas State took advantage of a pair of hits and an failed pickoff in the fourth to take a 1-0 lead after Aaron Lugo singled up the middle, moved to second on an error and scored on Daylan Pena’s RBI double to center.

Louisiana, which missed out on a chance to score in the fourth with the bases loaded, would immediately answer in the top of the fifth on Conor Higgs’ opposite-field homer off Bobcat starter Austin Eaton (2-2).

The Ragin’ Cajuns would use a two-out rally in the sixth to take the lead for good after Eaton got a pair of flyball outs to open the frame. Kyle DeBarge’s two-out walk kept the inning alive before scoring when Amedee laced a double off the base of the right-field wall for a 2-1 lead.

Pinch-hitter Mason Zambo then lifted a flyball down the left-field line that Pena overran and allowed Amedee to score on the error and push Louisiana’s lead to 3-1.

Torres, who went 2-for-4 to lead Louisiana at the plate, when gave the Ragin’ Cajuns some additional insurance in the ninth when he singled, stole second and eventually scored on John Taylor’s perfectly-executed suicide squeeze bunt for a 4-1 cushion.

Maddox Mandino and Luke Yuhasz each singled as part of a seven-hit performance for Louisiana, which snapped a five-game losing streak to the Bobcats in San Marcos while defeating Texas State for the seventh straight time overall.

Eaton scattered four hits and surrendered a pair of earned runs in 5.2 innings for Texas State.

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