The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns saw their 2016 season come to an end Monday night as they fell to Arizona 3-1 in Game 7 of the 2016 Lafayette Regional at M. L. "Tigue" Moore Field.

Kevin Ginkel and Cameron Ming held the Cauns to just five hits in taking the deciding game before 3, 674 fans.

The win completed the two game sweep the Wildcats (42-21) needed in order to get to the Super Regional round in Starkville, MS next weekend.  Arizona forced the deciding game by taking a 6-3 win over the Cajuns (43-21) earlier in the day.

Arizona struck first in the deciding game, scoring twice against Cajuns' starter Wyatt Marks (5-7).  Zach Gibbons singled with one out and came home on Ryan Aguilar's double and a throwing error.  Aguilar scored on a wild pitch.  The Wildcats added a run in the second on a double by Louis Boyd and a single by Cody Ramer.

Eric Carter and Dylan Moore then combined for six scoreless innings to give the Cajuns a chance to come back.  Carter allowed just three hits over five innings with a walk and five strikeouts.  Moore retired all three batters he faced in the eighth.

But the Cajuns could only manage one run off GInkel (4-1), that coming on Kyle Clement's solo homer in the fourth inning.  The Cajuns only got into scoring position one other time, when Clement singled with one out in the sixth and moved to second on a ground out.  Ming came in out of the bullpen to get a strikeout to end the inning, and the Cajuns would get just one more baserunner the rest of the way, when Brad Antchak singled with one out in the eighth inning.

The Cajuns had won 31 of their last 41 games entering play today and were 30-4 when allowing three runs or less.

Ryan Bannister, who was the winning pitcher in the first game of the day, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, getting credit for two wins and allowing just three runs in 14 innings of work.

He was joined by teammates, C Cesar Salazar, 1b Ryan Aguilar, 3B Bobby Dalbec and OF Zach Gibbons.  Louisiana was represented by 2B Stefan Trosclair, OF Kyle Clement and P Eric Carter.  SS Eric Beene and DH Lance Miles of Sam Houston State and Princeton OF Danny Hoy rounded out the squad.

The game marked the end of the Cajun careers of Trosclair, Clement and Carter, along with OF Brian Mills and Derek Herrington and pitchers WIll Bacon, Nick Zaunbrecher and Catcher Nick Thurman.

 

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