HATTIESBURG, Miss. – On a soggy Friday night at Pete Taylor Park, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns were outplayed in every phase, falling 11-3 to #21 Southern Miss in the first game of the newly branded “Battle of the Paddle” series. A pregame lineup shuffle, defensive miscues, and a cold offensive stretch combined to make it a night to forget for the Cajuns.

Just before first pitch, Louisiana made a surprise change to the pitching rotation, opting to move sophomore Chase Morgan to Saturday’s start and handing the ball to senior Andrew Herrmann for a rare Friday night appearance. Herrmann, who entered the game with a 3-3 record, struggled to find a rhythm in the damp conditions, allowing six earned runs on seven hits across three innings of work. His night ended with the Cajuns already in a 6-3 hole.

After a promising start offensively—scoring three runs in the top of the second inning on a Caleb Stelly RBI single and a two-run bunt error forced by Owen Galt—Louisiana’s bats went ice cold. The Cajuns recorded just one hit after the second inning and struck out 12 times overall. The Southern Miss pitching duo of JB Middleton and Chandler Best combined to retire 21 of the final 24 batters they faced.

"We just lost focus,"  head coach Matt Deggs said postgame. "That lineup change didn’t rattle us—our defense and approach at the plate did."

Indeed, the Cajuns were plagued by defensive lapses. Three costly errors—including misplays by Brooks Wright and Luke Yuhasz—led directly to multiple Golden Eagle runs. Southern Miss capitalized on nearly every opportunity, piling on 15 hits and stranding 13 runners to maintain pressure throughout the night.

Top individual performances for Louisiana were sparse. Maddox Mandino led the offense with a 2-for-4 night, while Stelly provided the only RBI. On the mound, Parker Smith and James Trimble each provided some stability in relief, though the damage had largely been done.

Southern Miss was paced by Joey Urban (3-for-4, home run, 2 RBIs), Ozzie Pratt (3-for-5, home run, 2 RBIs), and Nick Monistere (2-for-4, 2 RBIs). Middleton earned the win with eight strong innings, improving to 9-1 on the season.

The loss drops Louisiana to 25-25 overall and 15-10 in Sun Belt play. With the series still up for grabs, the Cajuns will look to bounce back on Saturday, with Chase Morgan now scheduled to start.

If they hope to keep pace in the conference race—and claim the paddle—they’ll need sharper defense, better pitch execution, and a serious spark at the plate.