UL Closes Mardi Gras Invitational With Split
The 16th-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun softball team split a pair of games on Sunday, in the final day of play in the Mardi Gras Invitational at Lamson Park.
Louisiana fell to the Bradley Braves in their first game of the day, 2-1, before rolling past the Mississippi Valley St. Devilettes, 19-0, in their second game of the day, in 5-inning mercy-rule fashion.
The split gave the Cajuns a 5-1 record in the tournament.
In the opener, Louisiana scored the first run of the contest in the top half of the 6th inning, when Kelli Martinez delivered a clutch two-out single, their first and only hit of the game, scoring D.J. Sanders, to make it 1-0.
Bradley answered right back in the bottom half of the frame however, when Maria Schroeder belted a two-run home run, to give them a 2-1 lead.
That was all the Braves would need, as they held on to record the 2-1.
Louisiana, who was outhit by Bradley, 5-1, left 11 runners on base, thanks to 11 walks issued by Bradley pitching.
Jaelen Hull (5-1) recorded the win in the circle for the Braves, pitching the final 2 innings in relief.
Alex Stewart (4-2) suffered the loss for Louisiana, allowing 5 hits and 3 runs over 5 innings.
With the triumph, Bradley improved to 9-6, while Louisiana slipped to 10-4.
In the second game Louisiana jumped on top early, scoring 8 runs on 5 hits in the top half of the second, including a three-run homer off the bat of Sanders, her 5th of the season, to take a commanding 8-0 lead.
The Cajuns put up two more runs in the top half of the 3rd inning, including an RBI single by Lexie Comeaux, to widen their lead to 10-0.
Louisiana put the game completely away in the top half of the 4th inning, scoring five more times, including a 2-run homer by, her second of the game, and 6th of the year, to extend their advantage to 15-0.
The Cajuns completed the scoring with 4 more run in the top half of the 5th inning, including a 2-run homer by Abby Sterling, her first collegiate long ball, to make it 19-0.
That was more than enough for UL, as they breezed to the 19-run mercy rule triumph.
Louisiana, who outhit Mississippi Valley St., 14-1, was paced at the plate by Sanders, who blasted two home runs, while Sterling added another.
Macey Smth (2-1) picked-up the win in the circle for the Cajuns, pitching two innings of perfect relief, as 5 UL pitcher combined for the one-hit shutout.
Chandler Ellis (0-1) suffered the loss for Mississippi Valley St., allowing 8 runs on 5 hits in 1.2 innings.
With the victory, Louisiana improved to 11-4 on the young season, while Mississippi Valley St. slipped to 2-11.
The Cajuns return to action on Friday afternoon, taking on Alcorn St. and North Dakota St. in the first day of the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational at Lamson Park.
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