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Softball: Wallace’s No-Hitter Leads Cajuns to Sweep of FAUBoca Raton, Fla. – After seeing their Saturday doubleheader get washed out by the rain, the Ragin’ Cajuns swept Florida Atlantic in two games on Sunday April 21, 1-0 in eight innings and 8-4. Jordan Wallace tossed an eight-inning no-hitter in a pitching duel in game one, and picked up a win in game two, improving to 22-6 on the season. The Cajuns improved to 34-11 overall and 13-4 in Sun Belt play. The Cajuns have now won their last 16 games, dating back to the final game of a three-game series against South Alabama on March 17. It was all Wallace in the first game. She went the distance for the extra-inning no-hitter striking out 12 batters, walking one and hitting one. It was her second career no-hitter, and the first of her career that wasn’t shortened by the mercy rule. “I felt fresh and ready to go,” Wallace said of the two day layoff since throwing last. “I was having great control of my pitches and I felt like I could throw my game without worrying about anything.” “It didn’t really matter to me that much,” she continued about the no-hitter going into the eighth. “I just wanted to get the win and if I allowed a hit and we still won, it would have been fine.” Taylor Fawbush was Wallace’s counterpart in the game, also a member of the Preseason All-Sun Belt team. Fawbush tossed 8.0 innings, allowing just the one run on three this and three walks, while hitting two batters. She fell to 12-10 on the year. The Cajuns only mustered three hits of their own, including a solo-homer in the eighth, off the bat of Sarah Draheim. It was Draheim’s 12th of the season and her 48th RBI. Game two would see more offensive production in the first inning than it did the entire first game. The Cajuns went scoreless before the Owls got not only their first runs of the game, but their first hit, with an RBI single, scoring two and taking a 2-0 lead. The Cajuns would take back those two runs with one in the second and one in the third to tie it. Shellie Landry was the sole factor of the second run, hitting a solo home run, her team-leading 14th of the season. The Cajuns took the lead in the fourth inning, on a Brianna Cherry two-run triple. It was her team-leading third triple of the season and her 37th and 38th RBI. She added one more in the game on a sacrifice fly. Jordan Wallace would make her second appearance of the day for the Cajuns, coming out of the bullpen to relieve starting pitcher Victoria Brown. Brown tossed 3.0 innings, allowing two earned runs, on two hits and a walk, while picking up one strikeout. Wallace would finish the game out for the Cajuns and pick up the win, as Brown did not pitch the minimum innings to qualify for the win. Wallace tossed 4.0 innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits and five walks, while striking out seven. She finished the day with two wins, throwing 12.0 innings and allowing two runs on two hits and striking out 19 batters. Matte Haack gave the Cajun’s their winning run in the fifth inning with her tenth home run of the season. The Cajuns now have four girls with double-digit home runs on the season. It is the fifth time in the Lotief Era that the Cajuns have achieved such a feat. Haack added two more RBI in the sixth, as part of a three-run sixth inning. Cherry finished game two 1-for-2 with three RBI, and was the only Cajun to have a hit in both games. Overall she was 2-for-6 with three RBI. Haack went 2-for-4 in the second game, also driving in three runs. Haack has drove in 26 runs in the past 16 games for the Cajuns. “I think we definitely have some momentum,” Wallace said of the current streak. “We are in a every game and have a lot of confidence in each other to do well and win. When we get behind we had the confidence that we could still win the game.” The Cajuns will now return to Louisiana for their final home series of the regular season, taking on Troy in a three-game Sun Belt Conference series, starting on Saturday with a doubleheader and then a single game on Sunday. They will wrap up the regular season when they travel to Monroe to take on in-state conference foe, ULM. — Ragin’ Cajuns – Nick Ross
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