LAFAYETTE, La. – A big eighth inning saw the Georgia Southern baseball squad tie the game with Louisiana at three all, but the Ragin' Cajuns would plate the final runs in the bottom of the eighth to ultimately seal the game, 6-3, Friday night in the opening game of a three-game conference set.
 
In the first inning, Max Marusak shot a home run to left center to immediately give UL a 1-0 lead. The Eagles wouldn't answer until the top of the third inning, where a sacrifice bunt from Jesse Sherrill would bring Austin Thompson home, tying up the game at 1-1. The Cajuns (13-12, 3-4 SBC) would answer with a two-run shot from Kyle DeBarge in the bottom of the third inning, pushing UL ahead of GS, 3-1.
 
Georgia Southern was able to score a second run in the top of the sixth inning after a Noah Ledford ground out would plate Jason Swan, cutting the Cajuns' deficit to one. In the top of the eighth inning, an RBI-double from Swan would score Parker Biederer and tie the game for a second time. The Eagles stranded two on base to end the inning.
 
The Cajuns responded in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring three runs to put away the  6-3 win.
 
QUICK HITS

• The three Eagle pitchers combined for five strikeouts tonight. Jaylen Paden had two, Ben Johnson had two, and Jay Thompson had one.
• Austin Thompson knocked his second triple of the season in the game.
• Christian Avant is the first player this season to surpass 100 at-bats on the season.
• Christian Avant currently sits at 92 RBI, eight off of 100 career RBI.

 
UP NEXT
The series with the Ragin' Cajuns continues on Saturday, April 2. First pitch from Russo Park is at 5 p.m. ET.