Softball: 7th-ranked Ragin’™ Cajuns Fend off Challenge from McNeese

Louisiana overcomes late rally from Cowgirls in claiming extra innings decision

LAFAYETTE – No. 7 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball battled through late-game momentum shifts to overcome McNeese in extra innings, taking an 8-7 (8 inn.) victory Wednesday evening at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park.

Having led since the first inning, the Ragin’ Cajuns (6-0) found themselves in a stalemate at 3-all in the fifth inning following a solo home run from McNeese’s Chloe Gomez.

A two-run single from Justice Milz and two-run home run by Jade Gortarez in the bottom half of the fifth promptly returned the lead to Louisiana and created what seemed to be an insurmountable 7-3 lead with Summer Ellyson in the circle.

The Cowgirls (3-7) chipped away with a single run in the sixth inning followed by a three-spot in the seventh inning that forged another tie.

Alissa Dalton ended the game with a walk-off RBI single in the Ragin’ Cajuns’ first at bat of extras, making McNeese pay for a pair of miscues which extended the bottom of the eighth.

Kandra Lamb started in the circle and scattered five hits over her 4-1/3 innings in the circle and surrendered only one earned run. She posted eight strikeouts, a season-high total and her highest mark since her debut season in 2019.

The offense gave Lamb a quick 3-0 lead in the very first at bat with Julie Rawls driving in a pair of runs. A pair of unearned runs scratched by the Cowgirls in the third inning tightened up the contest.

DIAMOND NOTES

The Ragin’ Cajuns and Cowgirls played extra innings at Lamson Park for the second straight meeting. In 2019, McNeese claimed a 5-4 decision in 11 innings.
Louisiana reached eight runs for the fifth time in five outings to start the 2021 season.
Jade Gortarez posted her first home run as a Ragin’ Cajun to cap off the scoring in the four-run fifth inning.
Following the two-run single in the fifth inning, Justice Milz has now collected at least one RBI in each of the past three games.
Ciara Bryan extended her season-opening, team-best hitting streak to six games. Julie Rawls, Raina O’Neal and Melissa Mayeux each stretched their current hitting streak to four games.
Kandra Lamb’s eight strikeouts were the second-most she’s recorded in her collegiate career, trailing only the career-high 11 posted on Feb. 9, 2019 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
The victory marked the 10th straight for the Ragin’ Cajuns dating back to the 2020 season.
For the fifth time in six outings Louisiana played an entire game without trailing.

UP NEXT
No. 7 Louisiana begins play in a weekend tournament that the program is co-hosting with No. 11 Louisiana State (7-3) on Thursday, Feb. 25, meeting the Tigers in a 6 p.m. contest at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park. The contest will be televised live on ESPN&#434343434343;.