NCAA baseball tournament: Louisiana-Lafayette powers past Jackson State 11-1

Louisiana-Lafayette's Ryan Leonards, right, ducks under a wild pitch from Jackson State pitcher Jamal Wilson in the seventh inning during an NCAA college baseball tournament regional game in Lafayette, La., Sunday, June 1, 2014. Louisiana-Lafayette won 11-1. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)
Louisiana-Lafayette's Ryan Leonards, right, ducks under a wild pitch from Jackson State pitcher Jamal Wilson in the seventh inning during an NCAA college baseball tournament regional game in Lafayette, La., Sunday, June 1, 2014. Louisiana-Lafayette won 11-1. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)
Louisiana-Lafayette’s Ryan Leonards, right, ducks under a wild pitch from Jackson State pitcher Jamal Wilson in the seventh inning during an NCAA college baseball tournament regional game in Lafayette, La., Sunday, June 1, 2014. Louisiana-Lafayette won 11-1. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — Jace Conrad hit a grand slam and drove in six runs as Louisiana-Lafayette remained alive in the NCAA tournament with an 11-1 victory over Jackson State in an elimination game Sunday.

The Ragin’ Cajuns (55-8) led 8-1 going into the bottom of the fifth inning, then cruised after a 3-hour, 12-minute rain delay. Louisiana-Lafayette starter Chris Charpentier allowed four hits in four innings, then yielded to reliever Matt Hicks (8-1), who threw five shutout innings after the break.

Christopher Wingard (2-2) took the loss for Jackson State (32-25), which upset regional top seed and host Louisiana-Lafayette 1-0 on Friday night.

The Cajuns advanced to face Mississippi State later Sunday. A win by Mississippi State would put the Bulldogs into their third super regional in four years.

With the game tied at 1 in the second, Louisiana-Lafayette loaded the bases and Conrad hit his third grand slam of the season.