STARKVILLE, Miss. — The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns kept their postseason hopes alive on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Lipscomb Bisons 10-4 in an elimination game of the 2026 NCAA Starkville Regional at Dudy Noble Field. Utilizing a 14-hit offensive attack, Louisiana controlled the tempo from the opening frame.
Louisiana struck first in the bottom of the first inning when left fielder Mark Collins launched a two-run home run to right field, scoring shortstop Blaze Rodriguez. Collins struck again in the second inning with a two-run single to left field, bringing home Rodriguez and center fielder Noah Lewis to extend the lead to 4-0.
Lipscomb answered in the top of the third inning when left fielder Jordan Thomas hit a two-run home run to center field, scoring center fielder Hutson Miles. However, Louisiana immediately countered in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run down the left-field line by catcher Colt Brown. The Ragin’ Cajuns added another run in the fourth on an RBI single by Rodriguez that scored designated hitter Josh Lim.
In the fifth inning, Louisiana pushed its advantage to 8-2. Lim delivered an RBI single to center field to score Brown, and second baseman Drew Markle subsequently crossed the plate on a wild pitch. Lipscomb attempted to chip away at the deficit, picking up a solo home run from first baseman Damion Kenealy Jr. in the sixth and an RBI single from Thomas in the seventh.
Louisiana capped the scoring in the bottom of the eighth. Lewis scored on a throwing error on a bunt single by Rodriguez, and Rodriguez later scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by third baseman Lee Amedee, cementing the 10-4 final score.
Blaze Rodriguez paced the Ragin’ Cajuns’ offense, going a stellar 4-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. Mark Collins was a major run producer, finishing 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. Colt Brown also collected three hits, including his third-inning solo shot. For Lipscomb, Jordan Thomas led the way, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. The official book does not designate a game-winning hit for the contest.
On the mound, Louisiana reliever Smith (4-3) earned the win, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out two batters. Lipscomb starting pitcher J. Trautner (1-4) suffered the loss after surrendering four earned runs on five hits over 2.0 innings of work. No save was recorded.
The game was played under partly cloudy skies with 86-degree temperatures and 5 mph winds blowing west-northwest. First pitch was delivered at 3:06 p.m., and the contest lasted 3 hours and 2 minutes in front of an announced attendance of 8,644 fans.
With the victory, Louisiana improves to 40-24 overall and advances in the regional’s elimination bracket Sunday at 2 PM CT against Cincinnati. Lipscomb’s season officially comes to an end with a 29-26 overall record.
This was created with AI assistance using content provided by the StatBroadcast, and edited for content and accuracy by the webmaster.
