JONESBORO, Ark. (4/8/22) – Brandon Hager went 2-for-3 and reached base three times, but the Arkansas State baseball team dropped a 10-0 decision to Louisiana Friday night at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field.
A-State (5-22, 0-10 SBC) tallied four hits, while the Ragin' Cajuns (16-14, 5-5) accounted for 12 hits on the night.
Hager and his twin brother Jacob were responsible for three of the Red Wolves' four hits, with the latter Hager slapping a pinch-hit single up the middle in the ninth. Jaylon Deshazier went 1-for-4, while Cooper Tremmel extended his on-base streak to seven games with a seventh-inning walk.
Justin Medlin (0-4) hurled five innings and allowed eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits, while Max Charlton pitched an effective two innings in relief, not allowing a run on just one hit. Phillip Bryant pitched the eighth before giving way to Brandon Hudson, who pitched a perfect ninth.
Four players registered two hits for the Cajuns, with Carson Roccaforte reaching in all four of his plate appearances with a 2-for-2 night and two runs scored. Kyle DeBarge also scored twice, while Jonathan Brandon drove in two runs with a single in the eighth.
After Medlin fired a quick first inning, the Cajuns plated two runs on three hits while moving base runners effectively in the sacrifice game. A successful squeeze play turned into an RBI single by Heath Hood to score Roccaforte, then Connor Kimple touched home on a sacrifice squeeze by Warnner Rincones. A-State threatened in the bottom half of the frame, but stranded a runner at second.
Louisiana added two more in the top of the third on back-to-back RBI doubles by Roccaforte and Kimple, putting the score at 4-0. Medlin then worked a 1-2-3 fourth inning to keep the Ragin' Cajuns off the board.
The Cajuns added an unearned run in the fifth, when leadoff man Max Marusak scored on a bunt single by DeBarge to make it 5-0. The Scarlet and Black had a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the inning with Wil French advancing to third on a passed ball after swiping second, but a strikeout and groundout ended the threat.
Louisiana plated three in the sixth to put the score at 8-0. Julian Brock doubled home Hood, then a sacrifice fly by Marusak scored Rincones. A wild pitch allowed Brock to score before Charlton fired a strikeout to end the inning.
After the Ragin' Cajuns scored two more in the eighth on Brandon's two-run single, A-State pushed another runner to third when Toler advanced on a wild pitch with two down, but a strikeout ended the inning.
Hudson entered in the ninth and retired the side, giving the Red Wolves one last chance at the plate. Jacob Hager led off with a pinch-hit single up the middle on the first pitch of the frame, then Sam Fagan reached on a fielder's choice. A strikeout and then force-out at second ended the contest.
NEXT UP
A-State looks to even the series Saturday evening against the Ragin' Cajuns, with first pitch set for 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, while the radio broadcast can be heard on The Ticket Radio Network stations 95.3, 96.9, 104.1 and 970 AM.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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