UL Softball Downs South Alabama, Extends League Win Streak

The Sun Belt Conference softball win streak continues for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns.

9th-ranked Louisiana defeated the South Alabama Jaguars, 11-7, in the opening game of a three-game, weekend, league series in Mobile, Alabama on Friday night.

The triumph kept UL's Sun Belt Conference record perfect this season, and ran their regular season league win streak to 12 games, dating back to last season.

Another win over the final two games would also extend the Cajuns' current league series win streak to 49, which would extend their own school and Sun Belt Conference record.

Louisiana has not dropped a conference series since the weekend of St. Patrick's Day in 2013.

Louisiana got on the scoreboard first, plating two runs in the top half of the first inning, when Sarah Hudek singled home a run, before Lexie Comeaux brought home a run with a bases loaded walk, to grab a quick 2-0 lead.

The Cajuns extended their lead in the top half of the third inning, when Julie Rawls blasted a solo home run, her 9th of the season, before Hudek singled, and later scored on a wild-pitch, to widen their advantage to 4-0.

South Alabama tied the contest in the bottom half of the 3rd inning, courtesy of a couple of two-run homers, one by Savanna Mayo, her third of the year, and another by Brittani Reid, her fourth of the season, to even the game, 4-4.

UL regained the lead in the top half of the 4th inning, when Kourtney Gremillion crushed a solo homer, her 3rd of the season, to give them a 5-4 advantage.

The Jaguars grabbed their first lead of the game in the bottom half of the 4th inning, when Victoria Ortiz drove home three runs with a clutch two-out double, to give them a 7-5 lead.

Louisiana got closer in the top half of the 5th inning, when Casidy Chaumont singled, before later scoring on a two-out infield single by Keeli Milligan, to make it 7-6.

UL took the lead for good in the top half of the 6th inning, scoring three runs, thanks to back-to-back homers by Bailey Curry, her 4th, and Hudek, her 6th, to give them a 9-7 advantage.

The Cajuns added two insurance runs in the top half of the 7th inning, including an RBI double by Rawls, to make it 11-7.

That would be all Louisiana would need, as they hung on for the wild 11-7 victory.

Louisiana, who outhit South Alabama, 14-9, was led at the plate by Hudek, who went 3-for-5, including a homer, two runs scored, and two runs batted in, while Rawls and Curry both added long balls.

Carrie Boswell (4-0) recorded the win inside the circle for the Cajuns, tossing 5.0 innings of 5-hit, 3-run relief.

Alexis Reid (8-10) suffered the loss for South Alabama, allowing 9 runs on 11 hits over 5.0 innings of work.

View the game box score.

With the victory, the Cajuns improved to 24-4, overall, and 7-0 in Sun Belt Conference play, while South Alabama dropped to 11-16, and 1-6, respectively.

The second game of the series will take place on Saturday afternoon, with first-pitch scheduled for 3 pm.