Baseball: Wilson delivers for Cajuns again, 6-5

The Advertiser, May 2, 2014

JONESBORO, Ark. – Senior Ryan Wilson recorded his fifth save of the season and fourth in as many outings to give the Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team a 6-5 victory over Arkansas State in the series opener on Friday night at Tomlinson Stadium.

Wilson threw 2.1 scoreless innings in relief with three strikeouts and a walk and faced one over the minimum in the save.

The win in the fourth straight for Louisiana and moves the squad to 42-6 on the year and 19-3 in Sun Belt play. The Cajuns also improve to 18-1 on the road this season.

“Just another good game from our guys tonight,” associate head coach Anthony Babineaux said. “It seems like these last four have all come down the end. The guys found a way to grind out another win. We have continued to compete and find ways to win, and tonight was no different.”

The Cajuns and Red Wolves (26-20, 14-8 Sun Belt) each had nine hits in the contest. Jace Conrad, Chase Compton and Michael Strentz each had two hits with Strentz posting a game-high three RBI.

Starter Austin Robichaux picked up his sixth win of the season holding ASU to two runs on three hits in five innings of work. Robichaux had a strikeout and a walk in the outing.

David Owen was saddled with the loss for Arkansas State after surrendering six runs (three earned) on eight hits in six innings to fall to 5-4 on the year.

Strentz put the Cajuns on the board in the top of the third driving in Compton from first on a double to left field.

The Cajuns added two more runs in the top of the fourth to make the score 3-0. Wilson came around to score on an Arkansas State error and Strentz singled in Conrad to give Louisiana the three-run edge.

In the bottom of the fourth, Matt Burgess cut the Ragin’ Cajuns advantage to 3-2 on a two-run homer to right field.

Louisiana got the runs back though in the top of the fifth. After infield singles by Ryan Leonards and Seth Harrison, Leonards came home to score on another error by the Red Wolves to increase the lead to 4-2. Later in the inning, Harrison scored on a wild pitch to give the Cajuns a three-run advantage.

Strentz brought home his third run of the game in the top of the six on a ground ball to short scoring Compton from third to make the score 6-2.

ASU plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to one run, 6-5. Ty Michelotti doubled in the first run of the inning. In the next at bat, Joe Schrimpf singled to center to score Michelotti. Dustin Jones brought home the final run of the inning on a double to right.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Wilson came on an struck out Erick Wilcoxson looking to end the threat. Wilson didn’t allow a runner to reach second in the final two innings despite giving up two hits.

The Cajuns and Red Wolves are back in action tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Tomlinson Stadium in game two of the series. Junior Carson Baranik will take the mound as Louisiana looks to win its 13th straight weekend series. Baranik leads the team with an 8-1 record and has a 3.41 ERA.