Cajuns score early to put away Rutgers and complete Saturday sweep

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The leadoff batter reached and scored each of the first four innings as the No. 24-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball team rapidly built a 5-0 lead that Karly Heath and Sam Landry made hold in a win over Rutgers on Saturday, March 11 in the Bubly Invitational at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Florida.

The victory completed a sweep of the Saturday’s action for Louisiana (17-8) which earlier in the day claimed a 1-0 win over No. 12 Florida behind Alexa Langeliers’ solo home run and Meghan Schorman’s complete game, three-hit shutout.

Heath (5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 K) helped her own cause in the Ragin’ Cajuns first at bat with an RBI single that plated Mihyia Davis (2-for-3, 2 SB, run, RBI) who singled to lead off and stole second to reach scoring position.

Louisiana kept the pressure on Rutgers starting pitcher Morgan Smith in the second inning as Langeliers led off with a walk and Taylor Roman beat out the throw for an infield single. The decisive blow then followed as Lauren Allred ripped a two-run double to deep right center to increase the advantage to 3-0.

The Ragin’ Cajuns made the Scarlet Knights (17-7) pay for leadoff walks in the third and fourth inning, those drawn by Sophie Piskos and Cecila Vasquez who both later crossed home plate to stretch the lead to 5-0.

Rutgers never posed a threat as Heath would hold them hitless through four complete.

The Scarlet Knights challenged Heath’s shutout in the fifth inning with a pair of hits that led to runners on second and third, however she’d induce a ground ball that Vasquez smothered and turned into the final out.

Landry (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K) took over in the sixth and recorded all three outs via the strikeout and tossed a scoreless seventh to complete the pitching staff’s third shutout in as many games in the Bubly Invitational.

Louisiana’s pitching staff has now worked 21 innings in the Bubly Invitational and has yet to yield a single run while allowing just eight base hits. It’s the longest stretch of consecutive shutouts pitched since opening the 2022 season with five consecutive shutouts.

Heath’s RBI single in the first inning increased her season total to a team-best 20 RBI. It was the second straight start in the circle that she gave herself a boost (hit two-run home run in Feb. 26 no-hitter vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi).

Davis’ two stolen bases in the contest upped her total to 24 swipes in just 15 games played. Allred pushed her season RBI total into double figures with the two-run double in the second and marked her third multiple-RBI performance in only 14 appearances.

The win completed a two-game sweep of Rutgers in the Bubly Invitational and was Louisiana’s sixth over a Power 5 team this spring. The Ragin’ Cajuns collected their team’s ninth win over a Top 100 RPI team.

Louisiana improved to 7-5 at a neutral site in the 2023 season, winning for the sixth straight outing.

The Ragin’ Cajuns moved to 7-0 all-time against Rutgers which now includes a 4-0 record in neutral site matchups. The two programs’ matchups in Gainesville this weekend marked the first meetings since the 2016 Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational at Lamson Park.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
No. 24 Louisiana closes out play in the Bubly Invitational, marking the end of non-conference tournament play this spring, on Sunday, March 12 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainsville, Florida with an early morning doubleheader that starts with an 8:00 a.m. (CDT) contest against Mercer (7-17).

Once the Mercer contests concludes, the Ragin’ Cajuns will have a rematch with No. 12 Florida (17-4) that’s scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. (CDT) live on the SEC Network.

Radio coverage throughout the day is being provided by 103.3 FM The Goat and the Varsity Network with Cody Junot and Bobby Neveaux on the call. Live stats can be accessed through CajunStats.com.

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