‍Montgomery, Ala. — For a team entering the Sun Belt Conference Tournament with postseason aspirations, Louisiana's performance Wednesday night was nothing short of underwhelming. The Cajuns (26–30) fell to Marshall 9–5 in a game defined by sluggish play from the Louisiana dugout and a stark contrast in energy from a surging Thundering Herd squad at Riverwalk Stadium.

Marshall, the No. 4 seed, came out swinging and never relented. Leadoff man and former Cajun Jackson Halter set the tone early with a first-inning solo home run, then doubled and scored during a four-run third that put the Cajuns in a 5–0 hole. He finished the night 3-for-5 with 2 RBI and three runs scored. AJ Havrilla and Nolan Wilson added key hits, with Wilson's seventh-inning two-run blast effectively sealing the win.

Louisiana, meanwhile, looked flat for the first five innings. Despite entering the tournament with a 6–0 all-time record against Marshall, the Cajuns struggled to find any rhythm at the plate or on the mound. Starting pitcher Tate Hess, who had been among the SBC leaders in limiting runs during conference play, was tagged for five earned runs over just three innings.

It wasn’t until the sixth that the Cajuns showed signs of life, when Luke Yuhasz and Conor Higgs sparked a brief rally with RBI hits. A three-run eighth, highlighted by another Yuhasz double and an RBI single from Lee Amedee, trimmed the deficit to 9–5, but it was too little, too late.

The energy mismatch between the two teams was evident throughout the night. Marshall played with urgency and emotion, capitalizing on nearly every opportunity. Louisiana, by comparison, looked tentative—committing a critical error, getting caught stealing twice, and failing to capitalize on multiple baserunners early. Despite a 10-hit outing, the Cajuns left eight men on base and hit into a game-ending double play in the eighth.

Yuhasz was a lone bright spot offensively, going 3-for-5 with a double, RBI, and run scored. Markle added two hits and scored twice, while Amedee had a three-hit game of his own. But the offense couldn't overcome inconsistent pitching and lackluster energy from the outset.

Now, Louisiana faces a win-or-go-home scenario against Georgia Southern in an elimination game. The Eagles dropped their opening-round game as well, setting up a Thursday afternoon showdown between two teams on the brink of elimination.

One more loss, and Louisiana’s 2025 season is over.

The Cajuns will need more than stats and talent to survive Thursday—they’ll need urgency. Something Marshall had in spades Wednesday night.