LAFAYETTE — It was a pitcher’s duel in the Sun Belt Conference bout between Louisiana and Texas State, but one swing made all the difference.
Sophomore pitcher Chase Morgan tossed seven shutout innings for the Ragin’ Cajuns, and junior Carson Hepworth delivered a go-ahead home run in the eighth to lift Louisiana to a 2-0 win over the Bobcats Friday night at Russo Park.
Morgan threw 102 pitches and struck out five while keeping Texas State off the scoreboard. But the Bobcats matched the Cajuns on the mound for most of the night.
Texas State’s Alex Valentin, also a second-year player, countered with 91 pitches over 7 1/3 innings, striking out six before exiting in the eighth.
With the game still scoreless, Hepworth stepped up with one on and launched his first home run of the season — a two-run blast that sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
“Probably the coolest moment of my life, I’m not gonna lie,” Hepworth said. “The atmosphere here is just unmatched. It was so cool going around the bases, hearing everybody scream. I was just glad I could do it for the fans and for my guys.”
Reliever Matthew Holzhammer closed the door in the ninth with one of his five strikeouts to secure the win and preserve the Cajuns’ shutout.
“[Morgan] set a great tone, so I knew I just had to keep going,” Holzhammer said. “It was no pressure, just exciting… a big game Friday night with all the fans, and I just came out with all I had.”
Head coach Matt Deggs credited both the pitching and timely hitting.
“You’ve got to focus on your defense, man, and leave the at-bats right there,” Deggs said. “Just find a way to reach, move them and score on a big knock. I knew it’d come down to a two-out knock tonight — and it did — and Hepworth came up with it.”
The win marked Louisiana’s ninth straight over Texas State. The two teams continue the series Saturday at 2 p.m. and wrap up Sunday at 1 p.m.
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