The unimaginable was avoided… by the hair of their chin chin chin.
To stay in first place in the Sun Belt Conference standings, the UL Ragin’ Cajuns had to avoid a sweep against the Troy Trojans.
It appeared a season-high 19-hit offensive attack would be wasted when Troy scored two runs in the eighth and six more in the ninth to force extra innings.
But the Cajuns rallied for two runs in the top of the 10th and barely headed on for a dramatic 14-13 win over the Trojans on Sunday.
“If there was any doubt who the toughest team – I don’t know about the best – but who the toughest team in the country is, I think we answered that today,” UL coach Matt Deggs said. “I just told how thankful I am for their parents and who coached them when their parents were raising them into the men they are. That was a bunch of grown men who took the field today. I told them we needed 15 to win this game. We got 14 and thank God that was enough.
“Troy’s playing at an incredibly high level. That’s certainly a top 20 team. I have zero doubt about that. They have one of the best approaches I’ve seen all year. “We just don’t quit and don’t give up.”
The Cajuns improved to 34-15 overall and 18-6 with the win, while Troy is now 34-15 and 16-8.
UL will next play Jackson State at 6 pm Tuesday, before heading to Georgia Southern next weekend.
Naturally, the Cajuns were down after blowing a six-run lead in the ninth and then the first two batters at the top of the 10th were retired.
Conor Higgs then smashed a solo home run to right. Kyle DeBarge and John Taylor both doubled for a 14-12 lead.
“Higgs has had his ups and his downs, but that’s two years in a row he’s hit a game-winning jack against Troy,” Deggs said. “That kid ain’t never going to quit. I promise you that.”
David Christie gave up a run on a Shane Lewis double at the bottom of the 10th, but got a fly out to left with two runners on to finally end the game.
“We leave out of here, we control our own destiny, nobody else,” Deggs said. “It’s up to us.”
UL exploded for five runs in the seventh inning to take control of the game before the late collapse.
Jose Torres led off with a double before Higgs was hit by a pitch. Two outs later, DeBarge came through with a three-run homer.
But the inning wasn’t over just yet. Taylor and Duncan Pastore singled and Caleb Stelly was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Lee Amedee delivered a two-run single for a 10-4 lead.
Trey LaFleur continued his big day in the eighth with a double header of Higgs’ RBI single for a seven-run cushion.
LaFleur finished the game 3-for-6 with two doubles, a homer and three RBIs.
The 19-hit attack included four Cajuns with three hits and three more with two hits.
Troy took an early 2-0 lead, before Taylor homered to leave off fourth. Doubles from Pastore and Stelly and an Amedee sacrifice fly gave UL a 3-2 lead. LaFleur then made it 5-2 with a two-run homer in the fifth.
Kevin McGehee started his first Sun Belt game of the season and got UL’s staff off to a good start with 4.1 competitive innings. He allowed three runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Jack Martinez only gave up a run on two hits with one strikeout in 1.2 innings, and both Blake Marshall and Carson Fluno gave up one run as well.
It got way too scary in the ninth against reliever JT Etheridge, who hit two batters and gave up four runs to bring on Matthew Holzhammer. Holzhammer walked a batter and then gave up a grand slam to Will Butcher tie the game at 12-all.
