LAFAYETTE, La. (Interstat) — Ty Roman delivered another strong start and Josh Lim’s three-run homer provided the exclamation point as Louisiana-Lafayette pulled away for a 9-3 victory over Southeastern Louisiana in non-conference baseball action Tuesday night at M.L. Tigue Moore Field.

The Ragin’ Cajuns, rebounding from a weekend sweep at Texas State, improved to 17-8. The Lions fell to 13-12.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the bottom of the fourth inning, erasing a quiet start and shifting momentum permanently in favor of the home team. Through three innings, Southeastern Louisiana starter Luke Lirette had held Louisiana-Lafayette hitless, preserving an early lead. The Lions had scratched across a run in the first inning without a hit, as leadoff batter Robichaux was hit by a pitch, advanced on a fielder’s choice, and scored on a wild pitch during Connor Cuff’s strikeout.

That changed dramatically in the fourth. Roman hit Lim and Brown with pitches to start the frame, ending Lirette’s night. After a double steal put both runners in scoring position, Rigoberto Hernandez greeted reliever Barbier with a two-run double down the third-base line, tying the game 3-3. Mark followed with an RBI single to give the Cajuns their first lead. After a sacrifice bunt, Jayce LaCava delivered the inning’s biggest blow, a two-run single to center that scored two more. LaCava then stole second and third before scoring on a Rodriguez groundout, capping a six-run outburst that gave Louisiana-Lafayette a 6-3 advantage.

Roman earned the win, working 5 1/3 innings and allowing three runs on three hits with four strikeouts. He was lifted after the Lions mounted a threat in the sixth. Capps drove in a run with a single, and Cuff followed with a two-run homer to right-center, suddenly cutting the deficit to 6-3 and chasing Roman. Reliever Cody Brasch entered and escaped a bases-loaded jam by striking out Priester and getting Wright to line out to center, preserving the lead.

Brasch was dominant in relief, throwing 2 2/3 hitless innings and striking out four to bridge the gap to the late innings. Lim provided crucial insurance in the seventh, launching a three-run homer to center field off Waghalter to extend the lead to 9-3.

Southeastern Louisiana managed only four hits total, with Cuff’s two-run homer accounting for the bulk of its offense. The Lions used six pitchers, with Lirette taking the loss after being charged with two runs in three-plus innings.

Cole Flanagan pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the win for Louisiana-Lafayette, which finished with six hits. The victory defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 6-5 win for Southeastern Louisiana, though the Ragin’ Cajuns’ 62% win probability according to the ELO system proved accurate.

Louisiana-Lafayette looks to build momentum as it opens a Sun Belt Conference series at home against Louisiana-Monroe on Friday. Southeastern Louisiana returns home to begin a Southland Conference series against New Orleans on Friday. The two in-state rivals are scheduled to meet again in Hammond on April 8.