It wasn't hit overly hard, but UL's freshman shortstop Blaze Rodriguez smelled blood.
The bases were loaded with one out at the top of the ninth with his Ragin' Cajuns clinging to a one-run lead.
The grounder off Cole Griffith's bat was also to Rodriguez's right, running toward third base, but the spectacular infielder turned the double play anyway to secure the hard-fought 4-3 win over Georgia State on Sunday at Russo Park.
The win completed the series sweep for the Cajuns to get to 30-18 overall and 12-12 in league play. Georgia State dropped to 22-25 and 10-14. The Cajuns are now in sole possession of sixth place in the league standings 鈥� one game behind Troy (13-11) and two behind South Alabama (14-10) with two weekends left.
"We were up by one and we had one out," Rodriguez said. "So I knew if all got hit to me, I was going to throw it to (second baseman) Lee (Amedee), no matter what."
Part of that is his aggressive nature, but also his preparation from assistant coach Seth Thibodeaux.
"Coach Thib does a really good job relaying the speed of the runners before the at-bat," Rodriguez added. "So I knew that he was a slower runner, so I knew I had time. Whenever he hit it a little bit slower, I still knew that we could get him."
What UL coach Matt Deggs especially admires about his young shortstop is that going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts didn't bother him at all.
"What's nice is having a kid who can play great defense without taking at-bats out there," Deggs said. "He took one on the chin offensively today, but the defense was truly remarkable."
The great defensive play allowed Tyler Papenbrock to collect his second save of the season. The senior left-hander got those final two outs.
"Credit Pappy, coming in, got ice water in his veins, and was able to get a ground ball there, and let's go," Deggs said.
It appeared freshman lefty Hayden Pearson might get the save opportunity, but he was relieved three batters into the ninth with one out and two on.
Pearson allowed one run on three hits, no walks and two strikeouts on 41 pitches.
The Panthers got a run on him in the seventh when speedy John Beverley singled, stole two bases and scored on a throwing error.
Ty Roman almost completed five innings to be in line for the victory, but allowed two hits and a walk after getting the first two batters out.
Roman allowed one run on four hits, one walk and struck out two in 4鈪� innings over 72 pitches.
He was relieved for 1鈪� innings by freshman right-hander Sawyer Pruitt, who gave up one run on three hits, one walk and struck out one.
"I thought he (Pearson) was great," Deggs said of the pitching. "I thought Sawyer was doing fine. They're just finding holes. I thought Ty gave us a great start. I really do."
UL's offense was limited to five hits in the game, but found a way to get four runs.
"Offensively our approach was off today," Deggs said. "We cannot become a victim of a little bit of success that we've had, and start pulling off of stuff. But credit their guy. He (starter Cole Roberts) executed some pitches on us today, too."
In the third, Drew Markle led off with a long double in the gap and scored on a fielder's choice grounder by Lewis of Mark Collins singled for a 1-0 lead.
Then the most unlikely hero ignited the critical three-run fourth.
Rigoberto Hernandez was hit by a pitch in the first inning and was not able to continue. Deggs went to Hebert, who is hitting .156 on the season, to bat in that cleanup spot.
So what does Hebert do to lead off the fourth? Hit a home run, of course.
"Jonathan Lucroy was talking about it yesterday 鈥� 'worked while you wait'. I've been waiting, preparation before the game, everything working. And we got an opportunity today and succeeded.
"For me, it's just trusting God, praying a lot, talking with God and just keeping life simple and easy. Keeping everything in line 鈥� grades, showing up, everything."
Hebert said encouragement from assistant coach Zach Lafleur allowed him to have an aggressive approach at the plate.
"Coach Z has been saying, 'I'm hitting, I'm hitting, I'm hitting," Hebert said. "So when that first pitch game, I was like, 'I'm hitting.' It was inside and I got into it."
Colt Brown followed that wallop with a single and reached third on Steven Spalitta's bloop double. First, Brown scored on a wild pitch and then Spalitta scored on Markle's groundout for the 4-0 lead.
UL won the game despite getting outhit 11-5.
"Wow, the sweep rights a lot of wrongs in the Sun Belt," Deggs said. "What I mean by that is now, all of a sudden, you didn't get swept at Texas State. You took a game. Because of this, you got more than you should have this weekend.
"I know that logic seems a little different, but it's not, really. When you look at the overall big picture of things, you're stealing a game."