Cajuns Punch Ticket to Sun Belt Title Game With Ninth-Inning Blast

(TROY, AL) - The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns are going back to the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game. Lee Amedee drilled a 399-foot, three-run homer in the ninth inning Saturday night, and the Cajuns held on for a 7-4 win over Texas State in an elimination game at Riddle-Pace Field. Louisiana (39-22) advances to the SBC title game for the third time in five seasons and the first since 2023.

Pruitt Was Steady When It Mattered

Freshman Sawyer Pruitt made his first start since April 10 and delivered exactly what the Cajuns needed. He went six innings, struck out eight, and kept the Bobcats in check long enough for the offense to build a cushion. Hayden Pearson relieved in the seventh before Ty Roman closed it out with four strikeouts over the final two innings to earn his first save of the season.

 LaSalle and Mandino Keep Rolling

Donovan LaSalle was a problem all night. He drove in three runs on a pair of singles, capping a postseason that has seen him consistently deliver in big spots. Maddox Mandino also went 2-for-the-night as both continued to be the most reliable bats in the lineup this week.
The Cajuns scored three in the fourth on an RBI single from Mark Collins and a two-run single from LaSalle. After the Bobcats cut it to 4-2 in the sixth, Amedee's blast with two outs in the ninth on a 2-2 count effectively ended it.

A Championship Game Rematch With History

Exactly 11 years ago to the day, Louisiana swept Texas State twice on this same field to reach the 2015 SBC title game. Saturday was a carbon copy. The Cajuns will now wait to see who they face in the championship game, set for DABOS Park in Montgomery. Top-seeded Southern Miss meets fourth-seeded Troy on Sunday at 9 a.m., with the winner claiming a spot against Louisiana for the SBC's automatic NCAA Regional bid. This one is being called on 103.3 The GOAT.