Softball: No. 22 Louisiana Lands Victory on Opening Night at Lamson Park + photo gallery

LAFAYETTE – No. 22 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball opened the 2018 season with a 7-1 victory over Samford in front of 1,637 fans Thursday evening at Lamson Park.
 
The contest marked the start of the Mardi Gras Classic which runs through Sunday at Lamson Park. It also marked the collegiate head coaching debut for head coach Gerry Glasco.
 
After yielding an early run, the Ragin’ Cajuns (1-0) offense pushed across multiple runs over the middle frames to pull away from the Bulldogs (0-1).
 
Freshman Casey Dixon limited Samford to two hits and struck out six in her four innings of work. Fellow newcomers Casidy Chaumont and Brittany Holland combined to drive in four of Louisiana’s seven tallies.
 
LEADING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS
Chaumont and Beth Ashley each posted a multiple-hit night, both going 2-for-3 at the plate. Chaumont homered in her first collegiate at bat, breaking a 1-all tie in the third inning.
 
Dixon (4.0 IP, 2 H, 6 K) held Samford hitless over her final three innings of work. Carrie Boswell and Kylee Jo Trahan combined for three scoreless innings, both striking out a pair in closing out the contest.
 
Louisiana picked up four stolen bases with Ashley, Chaumont, Kara Gremillion and Kelli Martinez each swiping one.
 
Defensively, the Ragin’ Cajuns played error-free and piled up 10 assists led by three apiece from Dalton (SS) and Holland (2B).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
– Samford scored a single run in the top half of the first inning as leadoff hitter Ryan Brzozoski singled, moved to second on a Shelby Maze sacrifice bunt and scored on a Madison Couch two-out single.
 
– Louisiana drew even in the second inning. Gremillion stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on a Holland sacrifice fly.
 
– Chaumont provided the Cajuns the lead for good in the third inning with a leadoff home run. Before the frame was complete, Louisiana piled on three more runs as Dalton singled home Martinez (bunt single) and later scored on a Gremillion sacrifice fly, and Ashley rounded home off a RBI single from Holland to stretch the lead to 5-1.
 
– Chaumont’s second extra base hit of the night, an RBI double, jumpstarted a two-run fourth inning for the Cajuns. She later scored as freshman Jolie Readeaux lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right field in her first collegiate at bat.
 
UP NEXT
No. 22 Louisiana continues play in the Mardi Gras Classic at Lamson Park on Friday facing Eastern Illinois at 4:30 p.m. and Evansville at 7 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on SportsRadio ESPN 1420-AM and streamed on the Ragin’ Cajuns Digital Network.
 
Fans who purchase four tickets to one of the games will receive each one for $4 as part of the Friday Family Day promotion. 
 
Fans can track the progress of Friday’s play by visiting Tournament Central at RaginCajuns.com/MardiGrasClassic.
  
Athletic Network footnote by Dr. Ed Dugas.
Click here for Photo Gallery posted in the Advertiser website.