Baseball: Clement Propels Cajuns Baseball To 7-4 Victory Over Arkansas State At SBC Tournament

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Senior Kyle Clement‘s three-run homer in the eighth inning propelled the 17th-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team to a 7-4 victory over eight-seeded Arkansas State on Wednesday night at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament hosted at Bobcat Ballpark.
 
The Cajuns pitching staff struck out a season-high 20 batters in the contest led by sophomore Gunner Leger who struck out a career-best 10 batters in the outing. Leger went five innings allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits in a no decision.
 
Senior Eric Carter (5-2) notched his fifth win in the game tossing 3.2 scoreless innings to close out the win. Carter struck out a season-high nine on the night and allowed just one runner to reach.
 
"We needed to strike out 20 tonight to win," head coach Tony Robichaux said. "We grinded out some innings and had trouble capitalizing on some opportunities at the plate. Gunner gave us everything that he had. We knew if we could keep it close that we would have a chance. Eric was really dominant tonight in relief and we got the big lick when we needed it."
 
The win increases the Ragin’ Cajuns (38-19) season-best win streak to seven games and moves the squad into the winner’s bracket. Louisiana will face host and fifth-seed Texas State tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m.
 
Fans can catch the game live on ESPN3.com with Matt Stewart making the call. The contest will also be aired live on News Talk 96.5 KPEL-FM with Jay Walker and Jeff Schneider on the broadcast.
 
Offensively, the Cajuns outhit the Red Wolves (27-28) 9-6 in the game led by Hunter Kasuls and Brenn Conrad who each had a pair of hits. Clement equaled his career-high with four RBI in the game.
 
A-State starter Cody Jackson was chased in the fifth inning after giving up four runs (three earned) on three hits and four walks in 4.1 innings of work.
 
Reliever Coulton Lee (5-7) took the loss as he gave up one run on three hits and four walks in 2.2 innings.
 
Arkansas State got on the scoreboard first in the top of the first as Ty White scored on a Leger wild pitch to make the score 1-0. White singled to lead off the game and then moved to third on a balk and a Garrett Rucker ground ball to first base.
 
The Cajuns didn’t waste any time in evening the contest as Joe Robbins brought home Kasuls on an RBI ground out to shortstop in the bottom half of the first. Kasuls led off the inning with a single to centerfield and then moved to third on a two-base error by Rucker.
 
Louisiana grabbed the lead in the bottom of the third scoring three runs on two hits and two walks to go in front 4-1. After the Cajuns loaded the bases on a walk and two bunt singles to start the inning, Clement drew a walk to give the squad a 2-1 edge. In the at-bat, Stefan Trosclair extended the lead to 3-1 on a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield. Conrad capped the scoring in the inning on an RBI ground out to second base.
 
The Red Wolves cut into the Louisiana lead in the top of the fourth scoring two unearned runs on a Robbins error at third base and a Tony Ortiz RBI single to make the score 4-3.
 
Daltan Lovell pulled A-State even at 4-all in the top of the sixth on a solo home run to left centerfield off of reliever Jevin Huval. The Red Wolves threated with a runner on third and one out, but Carter came on and got two big strikeouts to keep the game tied.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns threatened in the bottom half of the sixth putting runners on second and third with one out, but Lee induced a pop up from Brad Antchak and a Robbins fly out to centerfield to close out the inning.
 
Louisiana loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but again Lee kept the Cajuns off of the board getting Nick Thurman to ground out to second base to escape the jam.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Clement drove the first pitch he saw from reliever Tyler Zuber over the fence in right field for a three-run homer to put the Ragin’ Cajuns back in front 7-4.
 
Carter struck out the side in the top of the ninth getting Rucker to go down swinging to end the contest.
 
For updates and info on Louisiana baseball, follow the squad on twitter @CajunsBaseball or check RaginCajuns.com.