PRESS RELEASE
CONWAY, S.C. – After being held scoreless and without a hit through the first four innings, Louisiana Baseball’s offense exploded in the final five frames, posting three, three-run innings and riding stellar pitching to knock off Coastal Carolina, 10-0, in the series opener at Springs Brooks Stadium.
The win was the Ragin’ Cajuns’ (21-27, 9-13) first in a series opener since it took down Loyola Marymount, 5-0, on March 8 and the team’s second shutout of the season, the first since that same contest.
It was a complete performance from Louisiana, which tallied double-digit runs (10), hits (11) and strikeouts (13). The Ragin’ Cajuns are now 4-0 when scoring 10 or more runs and 9-4 when striking out 10 or more batters.
Junior Todd Lott tallied three hits against the Chanticleers, the third time this year he has had three or more hits in a game, and added two RBI, while Orynn Veillon went 2-for-5 at the plate with two RBI of his own. Daniel Lahare also produced a multi-hit game with two on the night.
Both pitchers were lights out on Friday night, combining to allow just six hits and two walks while fanning 13 Chanticleers. Jack Burk (2-2) earned the win after going 6.0 innings and allowing just five hits and striking out seven. He was relieved by Austin Perrin, who finished the game out allowing just one hit and striking out six to earn his first save of the season.
It was a pitcher’s duel through the first four innings of the ballgame, but that all changed in the top of the fifth when the Ragin’ Cajuns scored three runs on a Tremaine Spears single, a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt from O’Neal Lochridge to go ahead, 3-0.
After tacking on another run in the top of the next frame via a Handsome Monica double, the Ragin’ Cajuns took a commanding 7-0 advantage through seven innings with the help of a Veillon single, another wild pitch and a walk.
Things kept rolling in the eighth inning when a bases-loaded walk bumped the score up to 8-0 before Lott blasted a double down the right field line, plating two more and extending the advantage out to 10-0.
From there, Perrin came in and shut down the Chanticleers’ offense one last time to secure a pivotal series-opening victory.