ROUND ROCK, Texas — Freshman Kyle DeBarge recorded the first multi-hit game of his career and drove in a run while David Christie pitched three strong innings in relief with a career-high six strikeouts but the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns committed four errors, which led to seven unearned runs to help Indiana to 12-4 victory in the third game of the Karbach Round Rock Classic on a cold, soggy Saturday at Dell Diamond.
Bobby Whalen and Brock Tibbits had two hits each for Indiana (1-4) while Matt Ellis and Morgan Colopy each hit home runs as the Hoosiers benefited from three Louisiana errors in a seven-run, third-inning to take a 9-1 lead.
Playing in mid-30’s temperatures with a light, misting rain, Louisiana fell behind in the second inning when Ellis hit the first pitch from starter Peyton Havard (0-1) over the right field fence for his second home run of the season. The Hoosiers added a run in the inning when Carter Mathison doubled to right-center field to score Tibbits for a 2-0 advantage.
Louisiana (3-3) closed the gap in the bottom half of the frame when Heath Hood reached on an infield single, moved to second on a ground out and scored on Will Veillon’s RBI triple to right.
Indiana opened the third inning with a double by Phillip Glasser before Whalen reached on an error to chase Havard. The Hoosiers drew three consecutive walks off reliever Brandon Talley to score a pair of runs before Mathison recorded a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Ellis.
The Ragin’ Cajuns committed two more errors in the frame on a bobbled grounder led to a run before a failed pickoff attempt, hit batter, walk and fielder’s choice would score two more runs and push Indiana’s lead to 8-1.
Whalen rounded out the scoring in the inning for the Hoosiers when his RBI single, one of two hits in the inning, drove in Evan Goforth for a 9-1 lead.
Louisiana picked up a run in the fourth when Jonathan Brandon scored on Jack Clark’s RBI ground out and added a pair of runs in the seventh when DeBarge singled up the middle to drive in Veillon before Mason Zambo’s RBI single – the first of his career – plated DeBarge.
Christie, one of seven pitchers used by Louisiana, allowed two hits and fanned six before Austin Perrin, Cooper Rawls, Hayden Durke and freshman Bryce Calloway allowed one hit and no earned runs over the final three innings.
Jack Perkins (1-0) pitched five innings and fanned seven for Indiana with Ryan Craft and Braydon Tucker pitching the final four innings with three strikeouts. Havard took the loss for Louisiana after allowing three earned runs and striking out a pair of batters in two innings.
Louisiana will close out play in Round Rock on Sunday when it faces No. 2-ranked Arkansas in the final game of the four-team event.
