LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – Stymied by Arkansas State pitching through the first six innings, Louisiana finally got untracked with a seven-run seventh inning to erase a three-run deficit and earn an 8-6 Sun Belt Conference victory in the regular-season finale for both teams on Saturday at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park.

The win for Louisiana (26-29, 16-14 SBC) secured the No. 5 seed in next week’s Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship in Montgomery, Ala. The Ragin’ Cajuns will play No. 4-seeded Marshall (31-24) on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Senior right-hander Matthew Holzhammer (2-4) struck out a career-high six batters in 2.2 innings of relief for Louisiana with senior Dylan Theut earning his second save of the year after getting Patrick Engskov, the potential game-tying run, to pop up to short.

Louisiana, looking to avoid being swept at home in an SBC series since 2019, trailed 3-0 after six innings as Arkansas State starter Kole Turner limited the Ragin’ Cajuns to three base runners in 5.1 innings of work.

Turner hit a pair of batters and allowed a second-inning single to Owen Galt for Louisiana’s lone hit before recording seven in the final two innings. The right-hander struck out five batters and retired his final six batters before being lifted for Carson Keithley in the sixth.

Arkansas State (26-27, 14-16 SBC), who will face No. 9-seeded Georgia Southern in a single-elimination game on Tuesday, took a 1-0 lead in the first on Wil French’s homer to right-center before Cason Campbell delivered a two-run homer to right off Louisiana starter JR Tollett.

Louisiana began its comeback in the seventh inning as it sent 11 men to the plate beginning, with Conor Higgs’ leadoff single – one of two hits recorded by the senior in the frame. Connor Cuff drew a walk off reliever Jack Nelson and Galt was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Lee Amedee greeted ASU closer Chase Richter with a two-run single through the right side.

Senior catcher Jose Torres tied the game one batter later when he reached on an RBI fielder’s choice to plate Galt before eventually scoring from third on freshman Mark Collins’ two-out bunt up the third-base line.

Two batters later, Higgs added a two-run double off ASU’s fourth pitcher of the inning – Brett Foss – to give Louisiana a 7-3 lead.

Torres drove in an insurance run in the eighth with a double to left off Jelle van der Lelie before Arkansas State scored three times in the ninth to close the gap.

Tollett pitched 5.1 innings for Louisiana, allowed five hits and struck out six batters for being lifted for Holzhammer in the sixth.  

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