After scoring five runs in the fifth inning that gave the Eastern baseball team a 7-4 lead, Louisiana-Lafayette responded with five runs of its own, leading to a 9-8 win Sunday in Lafayette, La.

With a five-run fifth inning for the Ragin’ Cajuns, Louisiana-Lafayette won three straight games during the weekend, winning the series 3-1.

Senior Montana Timmons lined out to center field, leaving Caleb Howell and Demetre Taylor stranded in scoring position to end the game.

Timmons had been 4-for-4 prior to the last out of the game, in his first start of the season.

Eastern pitcher Troy Barton made his first start since the end of the 2012 season, and lasted two innings, throwing 42 pitches, allowing four runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk.

After falling behind 4-1 through four innings, Eastern third baseman Brant Valach hit a triple to right-center field with the bases loaded, giving the Panthers a 6-4 lead.

Timmons followed with an RBI-single, putting the Panthers ahead by three.

Left-handed pitcher Garrison Stenger was in his third inning of relief and could not get out of the fifth inning with the lead for the Panthers.

Louisiana-Lafayette left fielder Ryan Wilson hit a three-run home run off of Stenger to tie the game at seven in the fifth inning.

The Cajuns then scored two more runs on a single from Blake Trahan and a triple hit by Seth Harrison that gave them a 9-7 lead.

Howell hit a sacrifice-fly to right field in the sixth inning that brought in Mitch Gasbarro across to score, but Eastern was not able to threat the Cajuns again until the ninth inning.

Freshman righty Reagan Bazar faced the final two batters and recorded his first save for Louisiana-Lafayette.

Johansmeier wins

The season began Friday with sophomore pitcher Jake Johansmeier going six innings for Eastern, allowing one run on three hits, picking up the win over Louisiana-Lafayette.

The 5-1 win over the Cajuns was Eastern’s first win against a top-25 ranked team since the Panthers beat Louisville in 2012.

Johansmeier’s performance was backed up by RBI-singles in the fifth inning from Jason Scholl and Demetre Taylor, which gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead after Caleb Howell scored on a pass ball in the fourth inning.

With a three-run lead, Johansmeier kept the Cajuns unbalanced at the plate, using primarily off-speed pitches, he said.

Johansmeier said it was a team effort all around.

“I think I threw 10-20 fastballs out of 90 pitches, so I had to be on my game,” he said. “With that being the case I let the defense do a lot and they stepped up big to put the team ahead.”

Eastern added a run apiece in the seventh and ninth innings, respectively, giving Panthers’ closer Joe Greenfield a bit of a cushion in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Louisiana-Lafayette’s lone run was scored in the seventh inning, when Blake Trahan hit a sacrifice-fly to left field, which brought in Michael Strentz from third base.

Greenfield pitched the final two innings to record the save for Eastern.

Eastern shutout Saturday

Eastern played a double-header Saturday, losing both games by a combined score of 14-0.

Junior Matt Borens suffered the 1-0 loss in the front end of the double-header, allowing a home run with two outs in the third inning to Jace Conrad.

Borens pitched six innings, giving up four hits, while striking out seven and walking one.

The Eastern offense was not able to manage a run against Cajun starter Carson Baranik, who went 7.1 innings, giving up only one hit in his outing.

The Louisiana-Lafayette bullpen pitched the final 1.2 innings, allowing two hits to Eastern.

Left-handed pitcher Ryan Wilson pitched a scoreless ninth inning as he picked up the save for the Cajuns.

In game two of the double-header, Eastern pitcher Christian Slazinik started his first game in more than a year.

The red-shirt junior pitched into the fifth inning, but was pulled after allowing five runs. He was charged with six runs, while four of them were earned.

Freshman Jake Haberer came in, but was not able to hold down Louisiana-Lafayette’s offense. Through 1.1 innings, Harberer gave up six runs all of them earned.

Greg Milhorn started for the Cajuns and shutout the Panthers’ offense through six innings. He allowed two hits – the only hits Eastern scratched out in the 13-0 defeat.

Eastern will play another ranked team starting at 3 p.m. Friday against Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark.

Aldo Soto can be reached at 581-2812 or asoto2@eiu.edu