UTA Ends Cajuns' Streak, 5-4

The nine game winning streak for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns came to an end Friday night, as UTA took a 5-4 win over the Cajuns at Clay Gould Ballpark.

Kadon Simmons (7-2) got the win, allowing seven hits and three runs in 5.2 innings. Daniel James pitched the ninth for his league leading eleventh save.

Nick Lee (5-4), the Cajuns starter, took the loss after allowing seven hits and four runs over 3.2 innings.

"We didn't get the start we wanted," head coach Tony Robichaux said, "and we made a couple of bad reads on the bases. I thought Schmitty (Colten Schmidt) did a good job, but we just didn't make enough plays."

Lee started in place of normal game one starter Gunner Leger, who was scratched because of some lower back stiffness. Robichaux said Leger should be available for short bullpen work on Sunday.

Louisiana (27-14-1, 13-5-1 Sun Belt) got on the board in the first inning when Ishmael Edwards doubled and scored on a Joe Robbins sacrifice fly. Steven Sensley then followed with a mammoth homer to right to make it a 2-0 game.

UTA (24-17, 14-5 Sun Belt) got the runs back in the second inning when Noah Vaughan doubled with one out. R. J Williams singled him to third and a wild pitch scored the first run with Williams moving to second. Williams scored on Zac Cook's single to tie the game at 2.

Louisiana went back in front in the fourth inning when Robbins singled and Sensley ripped a double down the right field line. Robbins scored on Kennon Fontenot's ground ball, but Sensley was thrown out at home on Brenn Conrad's grounder to first base and Conrad was picked off by Simmons to end the inning.

UTA took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning when Easton Johnson singled with two out, went to third on Cook's single and scored on a single by Brady Cox. Omar Salinas then greeted Schmidt with a slicing double down the left field line to make the score 4-3. The Mavericks added a run in the fifth when Quinton Rohrbaugh walked and Vaughan hit what appeared to be a two run homer, but Vaughan was called out for passing Rohrbaugh on the bases, netting just one run to make the score 5-3.

The Cajuns had a chance in the sixth inning when Brad Antchak doubled with one out. Joe Robbins then got an infield single but Antchak was caught off third by shortstop Williams for the second out and Sensley fanned to end the inning.

The Cajuns got their final run in the ninth on Conrad's first homer of the season.

Saturday's game has already been postponed by impending weather. The two teams will play a Sunday doubleheader beginning at 11:00 am.