Ragin’ Cajuns Stun LSU 7-2 as Tigers’ Slide Continues

LAFAYETTE, La. (103.3 The GOAT) — Louisiana handed LSU its third loss in four games Wednesday night, beating the two-time defending national champions 7-2 in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,736 at Russo Park.

The Ragin’ Cajuns (10-3) jumped on LSU starter Gavin Guidry from the start, scoring three runs in the first inning and never looking back. The Tigers (11-3) managed just seven hits and struck out 11 times, continuing an offensive slide that’s now stretched across six games.

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How Did Louisiana Take Control So Early?

The Cajuns set the tone in the bottom of the first. After Guidry struck out leadoff hitter Donovan LaSalle, Drew Markle drew a walk, and Lee Amedee ripped a double down the left field line to score him.

Things unraveled quickly from there. Guidry’s pickoff attempt at third sailed wide for an error, moving Amedee to third. Rigoberto Hernandez then reached on a fielder’s choice, and Yorke’s throw from first base went wild, letting Amedee score. An RBI sacrifice fly from Steven Spalitta made it 3-0 before the Tigers recorded their third out.

Two of the three first-inning runs were unearned, a continuation of the defensive problems that plagued LSU in Monday’s 13-10 loss to Northeastern at Alex Box Stadium.

What Happened to LSU’s Offense?

It didn’t show up. Not when it mattered, anyway.

The Tigers went hitless through the first four innings against Louisiana starter Cody Brasch, who struck out five batters in three shutout innings to earn the win. Derek Curiel broke through with a single in the third, and Jake Brown followed with a fielder’s choice, but LSU couldn’t string anything together.

LSU didn’t get on the board until the fifth inning. Seth Dardar got hit by a pitch, and Trent Caraway crushed a two-run homer to left field, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Curiel and Brown followed with back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners with two outs. But J Pearson, pinch-hitting as the DH, flied out to left field to kill the rally.

That was as close as the Tigers got. LSU went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position on the night.

Curiel was the one bright spot, going 3-for-3 with a walk. Brown added two hits. But the rest of the lineup combined to go 2-for-21, with Yorke (0-for-3), Milam (0-for-4), Arrambide (0-for-3), and Harden (0-for-4, three strikeouts) all going hitless.

How Did Louisiana’s Pitching Shut It Down?

Brasch gave the Cajuns three strong innings to start, and then the bullpen did the rest.

After Brasch left, right-hander Hayden Pearson threw a scoreless fourth. Parker Smith ran into trouble in the fifth when Caraway hit the homer, but Bryce Wilson came in and got the final out of the inning. Then Sawyer Pruitt took over.

Pruitt was dominant. The right-hander threw four innings of two-hit ball, didn’t walk a batter until the ninth, and struck out four. He retired the side in order in the sixth and eighth innings and worked out of a ninth-inning jam after Arrambide walked and pinch-hitter Mason Braun singled. With runners on the corners and two outs, Harden struck out swinging, and Caraway grounded out to end it.

What Went Wrong for LSU on the Mound?

Guidry, who entered the game as one of LSU’s most reliable relievers, took the loss in his first start of the season. He lasted just 2.1 innings, giving up two hits, three runs (all earned on his line, though aided by errors elsewhere), and a walk.

Jay Johnson went to the bullpen early and often. LSU used eight pitchers total, with lefty Ethan Plog providing the best relief work (1.2 innings, two hits, two strikeouts, no runs). But the Tigers couldn’t stop the bleeding in the fifth, when Louisiana tacked on three more runs with help from a Benge throwing error, an RBI single by Hernandez, and two wild pitches from Rizy that allowed another run to score.

LSU committed three errors on the night, giving them seven total across their last two games.

Where Does This Leave Both Teams?

For Louisiana, this is a statement win. The Cajuns have won nine of their last 10 games under head coach Matt Deggs and are playing their best baseball of the young season heading into a weekend road series at Dallas Baptist.

For LSU, the questions Jay Johnson raised after Monday’s loss to Northeastern are only getting louder. The Tigers came to Lafayette looking to snap out of a rough stretch, and instead dug the hole deeper. The offense has gone cold. The defense has been sloppy. And the pitching depth beyond the weekend starters remains a concern.

LSU will try to right the ship this weekend when it hosts Sacramento State at Alex Box Stadium. The Cajuns head to Dallas Baptist for a three-game set starting Friday.