Baseball: Conrad Lifts Cajuns To 3-2 Victory Over South Alabama In Series Finale

LAFAYETTE, La. – Junior Brenn Conrad‘s two-out, two-run single in the eighth lifted the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team to a 3-2 victory over South Alabama in the final home game of the season on Sunday at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field.
 
The Senior Day victory improves the Ragin’ Cajuns to 31-19 on the year and 15-11 in conference play, while the first place Jaguars drop to 34-18 overall as they were handed their eighth loss in Sun Belt play.
 
"We had pitching and defense, and we finally got the timely hitting," head coach Tony Robichaux said. "We felt somewhere along the line he (Brenn) could help win a ballgame for us, and he did that. All of our seniors did a great job today. (Greg) Milhorn gave us two rock solid innings and that helps."
 
Freshman starter Wyatt Marks gave the Cajuns their third quality start of the weekend as he held the potent South Alabama offense to two runs on eight hits in six innings. Marks struck out three and did not allow a free pass in the outing.
 
Milhorn earned his second victory of the season throwing two scoreless innings in relief and faced the minimum despite giving up a hit. Freshman right-hander Dylan Moore recorded his eighth save of the season in the contest with a scoreless inning in the ninth to close out the game.
 
Starter Jared Gates took the loss for the Jags to fall to 4-3 on the season as he gave up three runs on seven hits in seven innings. Gates struck out five on the afternoon and walked two.
 
Offensively, South Alabama had a 10-8 edge in hits with shortstop Ryan Raspino going 3-for-3 at the plate. The Jaguars had four players post multi-hit efforts on the day.
 
Right fielder Dylan Butler led the way for the Ragin’ Cajuns going 2-for-2 with an RBI, while Conrad had a game-high two RBI.
 
Catcher Davis Knapp put South Alabama in front 1-0 in the top of the third on a leadoff solo homer down the left field line off of Marks.
 
The Jaguars extended their advantage to 2-0 in the top of the fifth. Knapp doubled down the left field line to start the inning. Knapp advanced to third on a single to left by Raspino and then scored on a safety squeeze by first baseman Ben Gann.
 
Louisiana answered with a run in the bottom half of the fifth as first baseman Greg Davis doubled with one out and then scored on a single up the middle by Butler to cut the Jags lead to 2-1. Butler would move to third on a single by shortstop Blake Trahan. In the next at bat, Gates threw out Butler at the plate on a safety squeeze attempt by left fielder Brian Mills.
 
After two scoreless innings, the Cajuns threatened in the bottom of the eighth as pinch hitter Kennon Fontenot singled and designated hitter Tyler Girouard walked to open the frame. Junior second baseman Stefan Trosclair moved the runners up on a sac bunt for the first out in the inning. Following a strikeout by reliever Justin Flores against centerfielder Kyle Clement, Conrad delivered the game-winning hit sending a hard hit ball through the right side of the infield to score Fontenot and Girouard.
 
Louisiana returns to action on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the first of four road contests as the Cajuns head to Thibodaux, La. to face Nicholls State. Following the game with the Colonels, the squad will close out the regular season with a three-game series at ULM starting Thursday at 6 p.m.
 
For updates and info on Ragin’ Cajuns baseball, follow the squad on twitter @CajunsBaseball or check RaginCajuns.com.