THE RUNDOWN
Saturday afternoon, DBU (8-7) fell to Louisiana (12-3) by a score of 11-6. After the Patriots rallied to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth, the game entered a lightning delay after the conclusion of the fifth inning with DBU ahead 5-4. Things turned wayward after the delay, as Louisiana outscored the Patriots 7-1 after the break.
​
The Ragin' Cajuns scratched two runs across in the top of the first inning via consecutive one-out RBI singles from Rigoberto Hernandez and Colt Brown. Patriot starter
Jared Schaeffer escaped the inning as Hernandez was thrown out at the plate on a first-and-third double steal attempt, before the next hitter rolled into a 3-1 groundout.
​
Cooper Neville led off the home-half with a single to right in his first plate appearance from the leadoff spot this season. He would be wiped off the bases as part of a 6-4-3 double play during the next at-bat, before
Chayton Krauss was sat down on three pitches to end the frame.
​
All six hitters that came to the plate during the entirety of the second inning were retired. DBU trailed 2-0 heading into the third.
​
Louisiana added to its lead in the top of the third, this time on a Donovan LaSalle solo homer on the first pitch of the inning. Schaeffer settled in and recorded three outs on the next three hitters he faced, before the Patriots were retired in order in the bottom of the third.
​
Maddox Mandino punched a two-out RBI single to center field in the top of the fourth, but was gunned down at second base trying to stretch his hit into a double. DBU trailed 4-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
​
The Patriot hitters came alive in the fourth, and it started with a
Cooper Neville full-count walk to lead off the inning.
Jake Bennett then reached on a fielder's choice where everyone was safe, setting the table for
Chayton Krauss to rip an RBI single to left field. With runners on first and second,
Ben Tryon generated an infield single, loading the bases for
Ryan Martin. Martin attacked the first pitch he saw, and snuck it over the "330" sign in the right field corner, giving DBU a 5-4 lead.
​
Schaeffer struck out the first two hitters he faced in the fifth before conceding a two-out double to Drew Markle, but got the next hitter he faced to fly out to left, ending the top of the frame.
​
The Patriots went three up three down in the bottom of the fifth, as the game entered a lightning delay.
After a 30-minute delay, the game picked back up in the top of the sixth, where Louisiana's Rigoberto Hernandez made both the first and third outs of the inning. The Ragin' Cajuns brought four runs to the plate on just one hit, along with six free passes, leading DBU 8-5.
​
Ben Tryon worked a lead-off walk in the bottom of the sixth, but the next three Patriot hitters would go down in order.
​
Armani Knipper delivered a scoreless top of the seventh after plunking the lead-off hitter.
​
In the bottom half,
Dylan Schlaegel entered the game as a pinch hitter, and he lofted a one-out solo homer to left field, his second big fly in as many days.
Cooper Neville drew a walk in the next at-bat, before
Jake Bennett rolled into a double play, ending the inning. DBU trailed 8-6 heading into the eighth.
​
Knipper got the lead-off hitter to roll over in the eighth before plunking the next three hitters. Lee Amedee then punched a two-RBI single off of
Max Luzarraga, before Luzarraga settled in and retired two of the next three hitters he faced, limiting the damage to two runs. The Patriots trailed 10-6 entering the bottom of the eighth.
​
Ben Tryon legged out another infield single in the bottom of the eighth with one out in the frame, but would be stranded at first after the next two hitters were retired.
​
In the top of the ninth, Louisiana added its final insurance run of the night, as Donovan LaSalle turned in an RBI groundout with runners on second and third.
Will Girardi, who made his Patriot debut, got Drew Markle to ground out to Neville at third to end the top of the ninth, trailing 11-6.
​
Adam Berghult drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the ninth before
Landon Underhill slapped a pinch-hit single to left field.
Cooper Neville then lined out to left field, as Louisiana went to Cody Brasch to slam the door.
​
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Patriot arms issued 16 free passes today (eight walks, eight HBP).
-
Ben Tryon, the only Patriot hitter with multiple hits today, increased his hitting streak to 12 games.
-
Dylan Cupp led everyone on the team with five fielding assists.
​
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
1 -
Will Girardi recorded his first strikeout as a Patriot tonight.
5 - Patriot hitters only struck out five times tonight.
2 -
Adam Berghult gunned down two would-be base stealers tonight.
​
ON DECK
The Patriots conclude their weekend set against Louisiana tomorrow afternoon.
Ryan Borberg is scheduled to take the hill at 1:05 pm.
