UL freshman outfielder Hayley Hayden

 

Freshman outfielder Haley Hayden hit two, two-run home runs, to help propel Louisiana's Ragin' Cajun softball team past the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Sunday, in the final day of the 2014 NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida.

Louisiana got on the board in the bottom half of the first inning, when Natalie Fernandez walked, before Hayden belted her first homer, this one on a 3-and-2 pitch, over the left-centerfield fence, off of Rutgers starter Aubrie Levine, giving UL a 2-0 lead.

Rutgers scored their first runs in the top of the third inning, off of Louisiana starter Jordan Wallace, when Alexis Durando delivered a two-out single, scoring Liz Adams and Loren Williams, to tie the game, 2-2.

The score stayed that until the fifth, when Hayden struck again, sending a two-run homer over the left field fence, following a Fernandez single, off of reliever Alyssa Landrith, giving the Cajuns a 4-2 lead.

The Scarlet Knights were able to score a run in the sixth inning, cutting the UL lead to 4-3, but that was all that they would get, as the Cajuns held on for the one-run win, their third victory of the tournament, against two defeats.

Hayden, who now has seven homers and 19 RBI's on the year, finished the game going 3-for-3, with two homers, two runs scored, and four runs batted in.

Wallace (5-1) recorded the complete-game win, allowing five hits and three runs, while walking three and striking out eight over seven innings of work.

Landrith (3-3) suffered the loss for Rutgers.

With the win, Louisiana improved to 9-5-1 on the season, while Rutgers slipped to 5-5.

The Cajuns return to action on Friday, when they take on UTSA and Baylor in the first day of play in the Gulfport College Classic in Gulfport, Mississippi.

View the game box score.

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