Softball: 1,500th Win, Trahan’s Shutout Headline Saturday’s Action

Southeast Missouri Box Score (PDF)
Samford Box Score (PDF)

 GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball team’s second day of competition at the Sand Dollar Classic at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex was highlighted by both a program and individual milestone.
 
No. 11 Louisiana opened Saturday’s action with an 8-0 (5 inn.) win over Southeast Missouri which marked the program’s 1,500th all-time victory. In the nightcap, sophomore pitcher Kylee Jo Trahan hurled the first seven-inning shutout of her collegiate career as the Ragin’ Cajuns blanked Samford 1-0.
 
Louisiana took advantage of the opportunities SEMO handed them, scoring three of its eight runs off on an error, wild pitch and passed ball. The top three in the lineup – Haley Hayden (3-for-3), Shellie Landry (3-for-4), Lexie Elkins (1-for-2) – went a combined 7-for-9 at the plate with three of the four RBI. Elkins broke open a 1-0 contest in the second inning with a two-out, two-run single up the middle.
 
Alex Stewart struck out seven in three innings of work in the circle and Macey Smith pitched two shutout innings as the duo combined for a one-hit shutout of the Redhawks.
 
Trahan held Samford to one hit while striking out eight and Hayden broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning when she singled home Kassidy Zeringue who had moved into scoring position after reaching base on a two-out error.
 
The shutouts extended the Ragin’ Cajuns’ pitching staff’s string of consecutive scoreless innings pitched to 18. The staff limited SEMO and Samford to a combined two base hits over 12 innings of work on Saturday.
 
The wins moved Louisiana to 4-0 on the young season and in the Sand Dollar Classic. The team completes tournament play in Gulf Shores on Sunday at 12 p.m., against Louisiana Tech live on SportsRadio ESPN 1420-AM (pre-game show at 11:45 a.m.).
 
Louisiana vs. Southeast Missouri
After her first two at bats, Elkins provided the Cajuns a 3-0 lead. She sent a first-inning grounder to shortstop that was misplayed allowing Hayden to score and in the second inning her two-out single scored Hayden and Landry who singled in front of her.
 
Stewart set the tone early in the pitching circle, striking out five of the first eight SEMO batters she faced.
 
Aleah Craighton doubled down the left field line to open the Cajuns half of the third inning and scored on a bloop single down the right field line by Sara Corbello. Louisiana would load the bases and add three more runs for a 7-0 lead, with one run apiece off a double play in a pinch hit at bat by Corin Voinche, a passed ball and a wild pitch during a walk of Elkins.
 
Smith relieved Stewart in the fourth inning and kept the clamps on the Redhawks’ offense, retiring six of the seven batters that she faced.
 
Zeringue reached on a bunt single to open the bottom of the fifth, stole second and scored the game-ending run (eight-run rule) on a single up the middle by Landry.
 
The Cajuns and Redhawks met for the first time since matchups at the Frost Cutlery Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn., in April 1994 and 1995.
 
Louisiana vs. Samford
Trahan and Samford’s Mollie Hanson entertained the crowd with an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel that was scoreless through the first four innings.
 
Both pitchers escaped scoring threats in the second inning. Hanson worked around a two on, no one out situation after Kelsey Vincent led off with a single and Craighton walked. Trahan posted back-to-back strikeouts after the Bulldogs moved a runner to second base with a sacrifice bunt.
 
Only one batter reached base over the next two innings, with Landry reaching on an infield single to second base.
 
Hanson, who retired Louisiana in order in the fourth inning, appeared headed for a second consecutive 1-2-3 frame in the fifth inning before Zeringue’s speed paid off on a bunt single. Hanson’s throw to first base was rushed and sailed out of the reach of Caitlin Bice at first base allowing Zeringue to reach base and advance to second base.
 
Hanson’s error proved costly as Hayden rifled the first offering on the next bat into left field to score Zeringue with what proved to be the game-winning tally.
 
Trahan’s final test came in the bottom half of the fifth. Miranda lifted a high fly ball to center field that carried to the outfield fence, but was caught by Craighton. Then after a hit by pitch placed a Bulldogs runner at second base, she forced Dowdy to ground out to second base for the final out.
 
Hanson retired six of the final seven Cajuns she faced to keep Samford’s deficit at one run. Trahan matched her, retiring five straight before forcing Higgins to foul out after a two-out walk in the seventh inning.
 
Saturday’s meeting was the 11th all-time between the Cajuns and Bulldogs and first since the 2001 Janette Spell Memorial at Lamson Park. Louisiana remained perfect in the all-time series (11-0) with the win.