Softball: Oklahoma State Rallies and Holds off Louisiana in Extra Innings

7th-ranked Ragin’ Cajuns grab the lead early once again, Cowgirls respond this time

LAFAYETTE – An extra innings battle between two Top 10 teams ended in 8th-ranked Oklahoma State’s favor as the Cowgirls found a timely hit in the ninth inning to capture a 5-3 win over No. 7 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball on Sunday at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park.
 
A two-run home run by Sydney Pennington snapped a 3-all tie and finalized the comeback for the Cowgirls (13-1) who trailed from the onset after Louisiana (9-3) scratched two runs in the first inning.
 
OSU seemingly had the comeback wrapped up in regulation, taking a 3-2 lead with a single run in the seventh inning set up by a leadoff ground-rule double. Julie Rawls made the visitors work for the decision as she poked a run-scoring single into center to even the score.  
 
Louisiana had a chance at ending the game the half inning prior to Pennington’s heroics. Kaitlyn Adlerink led off with a single down the left field line and later stole third, but OSU’s Carrie Eberle notched a strikeout to end the threat.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns wouldn’t go down without a fight, though, getting two base runners aboard in the ninth inning, chasing Eberle and forcing Kelly Maxwell into the circle to close out the game.
 
For the second straight day, Kandra Lamb pitched extremely well against a ranked foe holding the Top 10-ranked Cowgirls scoreless through the first three innings of the contest and to just one run over 7-2/3 innings before the game-winning tallies.
 
Lamb set a new season-high for strikeouts with 10, besting the previous mark of eight vs. McNeese on Wednesday and finishing one off her career-high total (11 vs. A&M Corpus Christi on Feb. 9, 2019).
 
Lamb’s strikeout total marked the most an opposing pitcher collected off of the Oklahoma State offense this season.
 
The win allowed OSU to split the pair of matchups with Louisiana in the LSU Crossover Tournament. The Ragin’ Cajuns, fueled by a four-run first inning, rolled to a 7-1 win in Baton Rouge on Saturday.
 
Sunday’s contest marked the first visit to Lamson Park by Oklahoma State since the 1991 season. That year the Cowgirls were part of an NCAA Regional hosted by Louisiana.
 
UP NEXT
Louisiana begins the month of March with a rematch against McNeese on Wednesday, March 3 in Lake Charles at 6:30 p.m., immediately followed by a recently added doubleheader with Baylor, to make up the canceled Louisiana Classics games, on Thursday, March 4 at Lamson Park beginning at 4 p.m.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns wrap up the week traveling to Memphis, Tenn., for a three-game series with the Tigers, starting with a 1 p.m. twinbill on Saturday, March 6 and ending on Sunday, March 7 with a Noon single game.
 
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