Softball: Cajuns on Losing End of Pitchers Duel Against South Alabama

 

Cajuns on Losing End of Pitchers Duel Against South Alabama

 

TROY, Ala. – It was a battle between two first-team All-Sun Belt pitchers for the rights to move on in the Sun Belt Conference Championship winner’s bracket.  Louisiana’s Jordan Wallace and South Alabama’s Hannah Campbell both took no-hitters into extra-innings in a 1-0 eight-inning victory for South Alabama on May 9th at the Troy University Softball Complex.

 

Brittany Campbell singled to center field with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, scoring a runner from first and giving the Jaguars a 1-0 lead with the first and only hit of the game for either team.

The game featured 11 of the 15 players named as first team All-Sun Belt players on Tuesday night, including Wallace and Campbell. 

 

South Alabama threatened in the sixth inning, after getting a runner on first with a walk, the next batter popped up to the middle of the infield.  A defensive miscue by the Cajuns allowed the ball to drop, but first baseman Matte Haack tagged out the batter between first and second to end the inning and preserve the hitless-tie. 

 

The Cajuns threatened in the bottom of the seventh inning, but failed to score a run.  Sarah Draheim hit what appeared to be a double to lead off the inning and put the Cajuns in a prime spot to win, but an appeal to the umpire nullified that, saying she missed first base.  By rule since she missed first base, it was an unassisted putout by the first baseman, and no hit is earned.

 

Wallace was handed the hard-luck loss, falling to 27-7 on the season.  Along with the one run on one hit, she walked three and struck out ten. 

 

It was the second time this season that Wallace took a no-hitter into extra-innings.  She tossed an eight-inning no-hitter at FAU on April 21st.  The Cajuns won that game 1-0.

 

For South Alabama, Hannah Campbell threw her second no-hitter of the season, winning her 20th game.  The first team All-Sun Belt pitcher is 2-1 against the Cajuns this season.

 

The loss ends the Cajuns’ 23 game winning streak, dating back to March 17, also against South Alabama.  It was the first time the Cajuns were shutout since last year’s Super Regional loss to Arizona State.

 

The Cajuns will have a quick turnaround and will be back at the Troy Softball Complex tomorrow morning for a 10:00 A.M. game against FAU.  The teams face elimination from the Sun Belt Championships, with the winner scheduled to take on top seeded Western Kentucky at 3:00 P.M. 

 

 

Nick Ross

Sports Information Assistant

University of Louisiana-Lafayette

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