Baseball: Cajuns Down Jayhawks at UTSA Classic, 8-6

After jumping out to a five-run lead, the Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team avoided a late Kansas rally to defeat the Jayhawks 8-6 in the Cajuns’ second game of the UTSA Classic on Saturday at Wolff Stadium in San Antonio, Texas.

Starter Chris Griffitt posted his first quality start in a Cajuns uniform limiting KU to two runs on eight hits while striking out five to improve to 2-1.

Ryan Leonards posted his second straight multi-hit game going 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. Despite being outhit 14-10, seven of the nine Cajuns (6-4) starters recorded at least one hit on the day.

Dakota Smith went a perfect 4-for-4 for the Jayhawks (5-4) tallying a double, home run, four RBI and scored two runs.

Kansas broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the second on a RBI triple by Chris Manship. In the next at-bat, Smith singled through the left side of the infield to score Manship and give the Jayhawks a 2-0 lead.

In the top half of the third inning, the Cajuns cut into the KU lead as Dylan Butler came in to score on a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Daniel Nichols. With runners on second and third and two outs, Leonards doubled off of the fence in left scoring Brian Bowman and Jace Conrad to give Louisiana a 3-2 edge.

The Cajuns added a run in the top of the fourth on Butler RBI single to increase their lead to 4-2.

UL extended its lead to 7-2 in the fifth plating three runs on four hits. A Leonards RBI double started the scoring for the Cajuns bringing in Bowman from third. In the next at-bat, Chase Compton singled in Leonards to give Louisiana a four-run advantage. Tyler Girouard capped the scoring for UL with a pinch-hit RBI single.

The Jayhawks looked to mount a comeback in the seventh and eighth innings scoring four runs on five hits. Smith ignited the rally for Kansas after doubling and scoring a run in the seventh, the freshman launched a three-run home run in the eighth to cut the Cajuns lead to one run.

In the top of the ninth, the Ragin’ Cajuns picked up an insurance run on a leadoff double by Dominick Francia and throwing error by Kansas reliever Tanner Poppe to make the score 8-6.

Caleb Kellogg was strong in relief for UL throwing 1.1 scoreless innings to earn his first save of the year.

The Cajuns are slated to close out the UTSA Classic on Sunday at 4 p.m. when they face the host UTSA Roadrunners in the final game of the tournament.

— Ragin’ Cajuns —

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