Baseball Falls in See-Saw Battle to Louisiana-Lafayette, 7-6

Tuesday, March 26

Lafayette, La.

6:30 PM

Tulane University

17-8

Louisiana-Lafayette

12-14

Tulane

Louisiana

Baseball Falls in See-Saw Battle to Louisiana-Lafayette, 7-6

Mar 26, 2019 | Baseball

Box Score

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Grant Mathews would hit a three-run home run to power a six-run inning for the Tulane Green Wave to roar back from a four-run deficit, but the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns would battle back to tie the game and then get a solo home run in the first at-bat in the bottom of the ninth to snap the team's five-game winning streak in a 7-6 loss Tuesday night at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.

The Green Wave (17-8) would out-hit the Ragin Cajuns (12-14) 15-8 on the night, but Tulane would strand 13 runners on base over the course of the game and wouldn't be able to put any more distance between themselves and Louisiana-Lafayette once they took the lead.

Frankie Niemann and Trevor Jensen led the team at the plate with Niemann going 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a run scored and Jensen going 3-for-5 with a run scored. David Bedgood, Kobi Owen and Jonathon Artigues each earned a pair of hits for Tulane.

Brendan Cellucci (1-2) earned the loss as he gave up the final run of the game on two hits in 1.1 innings pitched, as the sophomore was the sixth pitcher the team used in the contest. Krishna Raj got the start and allowed an unearned run on a hit in 2.2 innings.

Todd Lott was 2-for-5 for the Ragin Cajuns, driving in two while Nathan Camp was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Colton Frank earned the final hit of the game with his solo shot in the ninth for Louisiana-Lafayette's only extra-base hit of the contest.

Michael Leaumont (1-3) earned the victory by pitching the final 3.1 innings of the game and gave up four hits but no runs during that time to keep the Ragin Cajuns in the game late.

Louisiana-Lafayette was able to benefit from an error in the first inning to score the game's first run, plating three more in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead to put the Green Wave on the ropes early.

After four innings of frustrating Tulane at the plate, the Ragin Cajuns went to the bullpen to start the fifth and the Green Wave opened the frame with a single from Artigues to left. After a diving catch in right, Jensen singled to center to put runners at the corners and Kody Hoese hit a double that bounced over the wall to plate the team's first run down 4-1 and extend his hitting streak to 17 games.

Down to his final strike, Mathews belted one into the trees in right field to tie the game with one swing of the bat to knot the game at 4-4. After Louisiana-Lafayette's second pitching change, Hudson Haskin drew a walk and Niemann singled to put two back on prompting a third Ragin Cajun pitching change.

A walk to Bedgood loaded the bases for Tulane and after a swinging strikeout Artigues came through again with a double down the left field line to give the Green Wave the lead at 6-4.

Louisiana-Lafayette would plate a run in the sixth and seventh to tie the game at 6-6 and leave the game to the latter innings to decide a winner. Colton would provide it in the end on the first pitch Cellucci threw in the ninth to close it.

Tulane will be back in action on Friday, opening American Athletic Conference play at Cincinnati for a three-game series.

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