LAFAYETTE – Reigning Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year Hayden Arnold scattered five hits and fanned 12 batters while the Trojans manufactured a pair of runs to earn a 2-0 Sun Belt Conference victory over the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball team on Thursday at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park.
Nathan Lyons went 2-for-2 with a walk and scored both runs as Little Rock (24-24, 11-16 SBC), playing its final season in the Sun Belt before moving to the Ohio Valley Conference this summer, defeated Louisiana (31-21, 17-11 SBC) for the third time in the last four games.
Jorden Hussein, Tyler Williams and Canyon McWilliams each recorded hits while Arnold (5-6) would keep the Ragin’ Cajuns off balanced in his first complete game of the season.
Arnold and Louisiana starter Brandon Talley were locked in a pitcher’s duel for the first four innings before Talley was lifted after issuing leadoff single to McWilliams in the fifth and capping an effective, 40-pitch outing.
Reliever Bo Bonds worked around a walk to Eldrige Figueroa as he would get out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts and McWilliams nailed at second on an attempted steal.
The Trojans would break through one inning later as Lyons led off with a single to center, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Aiden Garrett and scored on Hussein’s RBI single to right-center.
That would be enough for Arnold, who retired 13 straight batters after Tyler Robertson reached on a two-out single up the middle and moved to third on Heath Hood’s ground-rule double down the right-field line.
Little Rock used the near-identical sequence to add an insurance run in the eighth as Lyons led off with a walk, moved to second on Garrett’s sacrifice bunt, third on a wild pitch and scored on Hussein’s sacrifice fly.
Louisiana, which stranded five batters, added singles by Kyle DeBarge, Carson Roccaforte and Max Marusak. Talley scattered a pair of hits and fanned two batters in 4.0 innings on the mound for Louisiana while Bonds (3-3) struck out three batters in 1.2 innings and allowed the Trojans’ first run.
The final series between the schools continues Friday at 6 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and can be heard in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5), the Varsity Network and the #GeauxCajuns app.
Senior right-hander Jacob Schultz (3-3, 4.06 ERA) will earn the start for Louisiana with Little Rock countering with right-hander Hoss Brewer (3-2, 6.10 ERA).
All youth league players who wear their team jersey to the final two games will be able to receive a group rated ticket for $6 in the bleacher sections. Tickets can be purchased at the Cajundome Ticket Office or Russo Park Ticket Office on gameday.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here [apps.apple.com] for iOS/Apple platforms and here [play.google.com] for Android platforms.
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