15th-ranked Ragin’ Cajuns fight back to earn doubleheader split in Austin

Louisiana outslugs No. 10 Texas in the nightcap of Top 15 showdown

AUSTIN, Texas – Julie Rawls produced at least one run in each of her final three plate appearances helping ensure No. 15 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball of a doubleheader split with No. 10 Texas on Thursday at Red & Charline McCombs Field.

Rawls’ performance in the nightcap resulted in her netting five RBI leading the Ragin’ Cajuns (14-5) to a 10-9 triumph, an emphatic response to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Longhorns (17-3) earlier in the day.

The senior catcher turned the tables on Texas in the third inning of Game 2 when she delivered a bases-loaded single that wound up clearing the bases and lifting Louisiana into the lead for good at 5-4.

An inning later and it was Rawls who put the Longhorns in a huge hole to climb out of with the second of three key two-out hits in the inning for the Ragin’ Cajuns, a two-run double that extended the advantage to 8-4.

Rawls’ lasting impact on the contest was an RBI single in the sixth inning that provided Louisiana’s 10th run of the contest. It was a valuable insurance run as Texas rallied for three runs in its final two at bats before Summer Ellyson re-entered and closed the door.

Louisiana piled up 13 hits against Longhorns pitching in departing Austin with a win. Rawls was joined by Alissa Dalton and Ciara Bryan in posting three-hit efforts.

The high-scoring finale was a stark contrast to the pitcher’s duel in Game 1 between Kandra Lamb and Texas’ Shealyn O’Leary. Until the Longhorns plated a pair of runs in the sixth inning, the two runs on the board for the hosts were unearned.

Lamb scattered five hits and was charged with only two earned runs over 5-1/3 innings for another strong outing against a nationally ranked foe. She struck out five and only allowed a runner to (or past) third base in one of the first five innings.

DIAMOND NOTES
• Alissa Dalton finished 5-for-6 at the plate with the performance increasing her season average from .311 to .373.
• The first hit of Game 2 marked the 200th career base hit of Alissa Dalton’s collegiate career which began in 2017 at Oklahoma.
• The five RBI in Game 2 increased Julie Rawls’ season total to a team-leading 22 RBI.
• Julie Rawls moved into a tie with Ciara Bryan for the team-lead with six multiple-RBI games. Rawls is the first Ragin’ Cajun this season to drive in three-plus RBI.
• Ciara Bryan extended her hitting streak to 12 games, stretching out the longest streak by a Ragin’ Cajun this season. Bryan has now reached base in all 19 games.
• Through three starts against ranked teams (LSU, Oklahoma State, Texas), Kandra Lamb has surrendered just 12 base hits over 16 innings pitched.
• Summer Ellyson collected career win No. 79 with the Game 2 victory. Ellyson is now just one win shy of becoming the sixth pitcher in Ragin’ Cajuns history to reach 80 career wins.
• Louisiana and Texas split a doubleheader in Austin for the second straight season.
• The Ragin’ Cajuns are now 2-4 vs. ranked teams in the 2021 season.
• Louisiana moves to 10-2 in games away from Lamson Park this season (7-2 in true road games, 3-0 in neutral site games).

UP NEXT
No. 15 Louisiana opens Sun Belt Conference play Friday-Sunday, March 19-21 at Allan Saxe Field in Arlington, Texas with a three-game series against UT Arlington (3-15, 0-3 Sun Belt).

The Ragin’ Cajuns and Mavericks begin the series Friday at 7:30 p.m., followed by matchups at 2 p.m. and Noon on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Live coverage of the entire series is available through SportsRadio ESPN 1420-AM and CajunStats.com.

FOLLOW THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin’ Cajuns on Facebook (/RaginCajunsSB), Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB) and Instagram (@Louisiana.SB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Softball.