Box Score LITTLE ROCK, Ark. ? Hunter Moody (8-2) opened Friday night's game with seven scoreless innings to lead Louisiana-Lafayette to a 3-1 Sun Belt Conference victory over UALR at Gary Hogan Field. Senior Trevor Clay (4-3) threw a complete game with seven strikeouts and no walks, but did not get enough run support to pull out the victory.
The Ragin' Cajuns (28-13, 11-2) helped Moody's cause by turning a pair of crucial inning-ending double plays in the fourth and sixth innings, after UALR (22-24, 3-13) put two runners on with one out. UALR finally broke into the scoring column in the bottom of the eighth, as senior Tim Lawrence opened the frame with a leadoff double off Moody. Lawrence moved up to third base with two outs on the board, and came around to score off an infield single by junior Brian Smiley.
Senior Jacob Stover followed with a single of his own to put runners on the corners with one out, but Moody forced junior Ryan Gotcher to fly out to center to end the inning. Chad Beck took the mound for UL in the ninth, retiring the Trojans in order to pick up his fifth save of the year.
UL took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when a base knock by Jonathan Lucroy scored John McCarthy. The Ragin' Cajuns extended their lead to 3-0 in the fourth, as a two-out double by Scott Hawkins plated Alex Preciado. Jameson Parker followed with a RBI double off the wall in right center, but was thrown out at third on the play (8-6-5).
Clay kept the Trojans in the game by closing out the contest with five shutout innings, but the offense couldn't get anything going against Moody ? who lowered his ERA to 1.47 in the win. Senior Derek Eilers, Smiley and Stover led the Trojans with two hits a piece in the loss.
The two teams will return to action on Saturday, with the second game slated to start at 2 p.m.
