LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – Gavin Galy and a pair of relievers combined on a four-hit shutout while Patrick Engskov and Ashton Quiller each hit home runs to lead Arkansas State to a 3-0 Sun Belt Conference win over the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns on Thursday at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park.

The win by Arkansas State (25-26, 13-15 SBC) inched the Red Wolves closer to securing their first berth in the Sun Belt Conference Championships for the first time since 2021. Louisiana, which remained in a fourth-place tie with Old Dominion in the league standings, fell to 25-28 overall and 15-13 in SBC play.

Galy (3-1), who previously played at Nicholls before transferring with first-year coach Mike Silva to Arkansas State, allowed one base runner through the first 3.2 innings before Conor Higgs doubled for the Cajuns’ first hit of the game. The right-hander would retire the next seven batters before being chased when Caleb Stelly led off the seventh with a single through the right side.

Arkansas State, which produced 15 ground ball outs and posted its first shutout since a 2-0 win at then No. 21-ranked Coastal Carolina on April 6, broke open a pitcher’s duel in the fourth inning.

Engskov belted a solo home run to left off Louisiana starter Chase Morgan (4-3) to give the Red Wolves a 1-0 lead. Morgan allowed four hits and struck out six batters in 4.0 innings of work before being relieved by Tate Hess.

The Red Wolves would get four straight hits off Hess in the fifth with Kaden Amundson hitting a one-out single to center before scoring on Quiller’s two-run homer to left.

Hess allowed six hits and two runs with four strikeouts in 3.1 innings of work before Dylan Theut pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief with a strikeout.

Jack Nelson replaced Galy in the seventh and caught Higgs looking at a third strike before getting Carson Hepworth to hit into an inning-ending, double play. Chase Richter pitched the final 2.0 innings for the Red Wolves to earn his eighth save of the season.

Stelly went 2-for-3 to extend his hit streak to seven games for Louisiana while Mark Collins added an eighth-inning single.

The series resumes on Friday in a 6 p.m. contest. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with fans able to listen to the game in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app.

Beginning at 5:45 p.m., Louisiana will hold its commencement ceremony for its five-member graduating class – Carson Fluno, Andrew Herrmann, Blake McGehee, Dylan Theut and Jose Torres.  

Latest news