Ragin’ Cajuns down Tigers in Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic, 3-1

METAIRIE, La. – Four Louisiana-Lafayette pitches scattered 10 hits Tuesday night and limited No. 19 LSU to one run as the Cajuns recorded a 3-1 win over the Tigers at the Shrine on Airline.

ULL improved to 11-13 on the season, while the Tigers dropped to 16-10.

LSU returns to action at 7 p.m. Thursday when the Tigers play host to Mississippi State in Game 1 of a three-game SEC series. Thursday’s game will be televised by the SEC Network, and it can be heard on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network.

ULL starting pitcher Hogan Harris (1-1) was credited with the win Tuesday as he allowed one unearned run on five hits in four innings with one walk and five strikeouts. He combined with relievers Austin Perrin, Brock Batty and Logan Stoelke to pitch the Cajuns to the win.

Stoelke earned his sixth save of the season for the Cajuns, recording a scoreless ninth inning by pitching around a single and a hit batter.

LSU starter AJ Labas (2-1) was charged with the loss, as he surrendered three runs on five hits in 5.1 innings with one walk and six strikeouts.

“A lot of times we got hits with two outs, where now it’s going to take a couple more hits to score the runner,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “We got 10 hits and scored one run — that’s totally unacceptable. I take responsibility for it. I’m just not getting the best out of them. I know we’re better than this, we’re just not coming through in clutch situations.”

The Cajuns scored two runs in the top of the first inning against Labas to take an early lead. Centerfielder Daniel Lahare singled, moved to second when leftfielder Gavin Bourgeois was hit by a pitch, and scored on first baseman Kennon Fontenot’s RBI double.

ULL added its second run in the inning when Bourgeois scored from third on a wild pitch.

The Cajuns extended their lead to 3-0 in the third when Bourgeois led off with a double, moved to third on second baseban Hunter Kasuls’ groundout and scored when Fontenot grounded into a fielder’s choice.

LSU narrowed the gap to 3-1 in the fourth when catcher Nick Coomes doubled and later scored when Harris fired errantly to first base on a ground ball by first baseman Jake Slaughter.