MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Texas State (35-22) saw its offense get stifled Wednesday night in a 6-1 loss to No. 4 seed Louisiana (37-20) from Riverwalk Stadium in the Guardian Credit Union Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship presented by Troy University.
 
Levi Wells (8-4) struck out eight over five innings but allowed five runs on seven hits to take the loss. Jackson Nezuh (9-5) punched out five in 5.2 scoreless innings and Cooper Rawls tossed the final 3.1 innings to earn his second save of the season.
 
Out of the bullpen, Triston Dixon went two innings and struck out two. Cameron Bush set the Ragin' Cajuns down in order in the eighth.
 
The only hit on the night came from Kameron Weil. Reaching base three times was Daylan Pena as he was walked twice and hit by a pitch once. Cade Manning also got on base two times with a free pass and was plunked.
 
With two gone in the first, walks by Jose Gonzalez and Chase Mora sandwiched Pena getting hit by a pitch. The Bobcats were not able to get any of the runners home as a strikeout ended the frame.
 
TXST would then get two on in the fourth via a free pass and hit by pitch. A fly out and strikeout would end the inning to again keep the Bobcats off the scoreboard.
 
A walk and single put two on for the Cajuns in the bottom of the frame. A 2-2 offering from Wells saw John Taylor appear to go around on a check swing for the third strike that would have ended the inning, but the third base umpire said he held up. Two pitches later, Taylor sent a shot over the right field wall to put Louisiana ahead 3-0.
 
The next inning saw the Cajuns add two more runs on a double with the bases loaded. A relay throw from Weil to Mora to Peyton Lewis at the plate nailed a third runner trying to score to end the frame and limit the damage.
 
In the seventh, the first three batters reached with Alex Gonzales and Ben McClain drawing walks and Weil beating out an infield single to load the bases. The Cajuns would get a double play but saw a run would score to cut the deficit to 5-1.
 
Louisiana would increase the lead back to five on a Carson Roccaforte RBI double in the bottom of the inning.
 
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