South Alabama Squeezes Cajuns, 9-2
Friday night, Louisiana and South Alabama squared off in the first game of a Sun Belt Conference series. And, the Jaguars beat the Cajuns at their own game.
Carter Perkins' suicide squeeze bunt with the bases loaded broke open a tight game and led the Jaguars to a 9-2 win over the Cajuns Friday night at M. L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
South Alabama (15-18, 5-8 Sun Belt) had a 3-1 lead entering the fifth inning. Cajuns' starter Austin Perrin (3-4) hit Kaleb De La Torre with a pitch to open the inning and walked Dakota Dailey. Ethan Wilson then singled to load the bases. Michael Sandle then grounded to third and O'Neal Lochridge threw out De La Torre at the plate, but, with all three runners in motion, Perkins laid down a bunt. Perrin's throw to first base rolled away from Hunter Kasuls as all three runs scored, giving the Jags a 6-1 lead.
The Cajuns (17-20, 6-7) got a run back on Orynn Veillon's seventh home run of the year in the seventh inning, but Louisiana got no closer. South Alabama scored three runs in the ninth for the final score.
Wells Davis hit his seventh homer of the season, a two run shot in the second inning to get South Alabama on the board. The Cajuns answered in their half of the second when Hunter Kasuls led off with a walk. After a force play, Daniel Lahare singled and Veillon singled through the hole between short and third to get a run home. Jordan Wiley was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Jaguars' starter Jo Jo Booker (4-3) struck out O'Neal Lochridge and Hayden Cantrelle to end the threat.
Ethan Wilson's ninth home run of the year extended South Alabama's lead to 3-1 before the fifth inning uprising.
Booker allowed four hits and two runs over six innings of work. Reliever Zach Greene struck out six over the final three innings to earn his seventh save of the season.
Perrin took the loss, giving up five hits and six runs, five earned over 5.2 innings of work.
The two teams are scheduled to play the second game of the series Saturday at 1:00 pm, weather permitting.