Softball: Loss to McNeese brings Cajuns’ lofty aspirations down to Earth

Nick Fontenot, Special to the Advertiser, March 20, 2019

Click here for the UL vs. McNeese game photo gallery.

Sometimes in softball, it’s the opponent that gets you.

Sometimes in softball, you beat yourself.

And sometimes in softball, the game itself beats you.

It’s uncertain which of the three occurred Wednesday night at Lamson Park when UL dropped a 5-4 game to McNeese in 11 innings, but the certain outcome is that the Cajuns no longer have lofty aspirations of going undefeated for the rest of the season.

UL coach Gerry Glasco himself even admitted that focusing so much on RPI and having to remain perfect may not have been the best plan of action for the now 23-4 Ragin’ Cajuns.

“I don’t think we were flat,” Glasco said. “I’m worried about talking about we need to go perfect for the rest of the year. My thought now is that maybe we should have been saying, ‘We can’t worry about all that and play one game at a time.’ Maybe it brought some unnecessary pressure. I am still trying to figure it out.”

Glasco said the fourth inning, with UL up 1-0, runners on first and second and no outs, was the key to the game. With Bailey Curry up to bat, he called a time out and told her to do whatever she could to avoid the double play.

MORE: UL’s Curry is hitting her stride for the Cajuns

“I told her, ‘Whatever you do, give me a fly ball,’” Glasco said. “’Give me the bottom half of the ball and not take any chance on a double play and then we hit into a double play.’ Before the double play, I knew this was the key to the game. I knew if we could get Summer (Ellyson) a two-run lead, we’d be in good shape.”

Ellyson continued to be the only pitcher the Cajuns can depend on, going the distance Wednesday, throwing 146 pitches and striking out 11. Glasco said not getting the win Wednesday after keeping Ellyson out so long makes him sick.

“That’s the mind set where you feel like you have to win every game,” Glasco said. “We want to win the Sun Belt, but we also want to host a regional here. Losses like this really hurt us. We are in a position where we haven’t developed a No. 2 pitcher that can get in there and beat a team like McNeese.”

McNeese scored three runs in the fifth when former Cajun and North Vermilion graduate Cori McCrary took Ellyson yard to put the Cowgirls up 3-1. UL’s Raina O’Neal tied the game in the sixth with a two-run shot to make it 4-4.

McNeese scored the go-ahead run on error in the 11th. UL got the game-tying run to third base in the 11th with one out. Keeli Milligan then flied out to left field for what would be a sacrifice, but McNeese’s Justyce McClain threw a laser to home and catcher Aubree Turbeville tagged Alissa Dalton for the final out.

“I was afraid to squeeze there because I thought he may possibly pitch out,” Glasco said. “I didn’t want to take the game away from the kids. We just need to slap the ball up the middle of the field and we have to get the ball on the ground.”

The Cajuns now head to South Alabama for a three-game series. Glasco said using another arm will be necessary and said McNeese winning should shock no one.

“McNeese for years has stepped up and upset good teams,” Glasco said. “You’re scared to death of it as a coach. You know it can happen. It’s a nightmare watching for 10 innings and making huge, critical mistakes and watch a game develop where you realize one or two mistakes here, and that’s the game.

“We will absolutely have to use our bullpen and count on it for significant innings. The game teaches you how to play. The kids know they had many opportunities to win this game and they know they should have won the game if they had played their very best ball. You can’t play sub-par ball against a program like that and win. We let them hang around and they got us in the end.”