Cajuns snag road shutout of No. 12 Florida

Meghan Schorman handcuffed the Gators and Alexa Langliers delivered the difference-making swing

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – With a home run swing from Alexa Langeliers and a masterful pitching performance from Meghan Schorman the No. 24-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball team notched a 1-0 win over No. 12 Florida on Saturday, March 11 in the Bubly Invitational at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Florida.

Schorman (7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 6 K) kept the Gators’ offense off-balance the entire afternoon not yielding a hit until the third inning, inducing 13 fly outs and holding them hitless over the final three innings in securing the complete game three-hit shutout.

The defense backed up Schorman’s handiwork with a critical inning-ending double play in the third inning turned by Lauren Allred that denied Florida (17-4) an extra base hit down the right field line and potential run, then with two runners on in the fourth inning Kylei Griffin flipped a throw to Langeliers at second base to take away a single and close that threat.

Langliers got the lone run Louisiana (16-8) would need when she led off the top of the fifth inning with a solo home run. The line drive shot to center field gave the Ragin’ Cajuns their breakthough against UF starting pitcher Lexie Delbrey who was locked in a duel with Schorman throughout the contest.

The shutout of the Gators marked the second of a Top 25-ranked team in the 2023 season for Schorman who no-hit then-No. 25 UCF in Orlando back on Feb. 21. It was her first career complete game shutout of an SEC opponent and Louisiana’s first complete game blanking of an SEC squad since Kandra Lamb’s three-hit shutout of LSU in the 2021 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional.

It was the third victory over a ranked team this season for Schorman (6-3, 2.17 ERA), adding to the UCF no-hitter and handing LSU its only loss of the season back on Feb. 25 at Tiger Park.

The home run moved Langeliers into a tie for the team lead with Karly Heath at five home runs. She collected her second heroic hit against an SEC foe in the past two weeks, adding to the walk-off RBI single in the eighth inning vs. Ole Miss at Lamson Park (on Feb. 27).

Louisiana defeated Florida in Gainesville for the third consecutive meeting. The Ragin’ Cajuns entered Saturday’s game having won the last two matchups of a three-game series with the Gators held back in 2020 during the last visit to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

The Ragin’ Cajuns improved to 4-3 in the Gerry Glasco era against the Gators (now 3-1 in Gainesvile) and increased their all-time series lead to 8-6.

Saturday’s signature win was Louisiana’s fifth over a Power 5 team this spring, and marked the team’s eighth win over a Top 100 RPI team (second over Top 25 RPI, third over Top 50 RPI).

Louisiana and Florida are set for a rematch in the Bubly Invitational on Sunday, March 12 at 10:30 a.m. (CDT). The contest will be aired live on the SEC Network.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
No. 24 Louisiana returns to the field on Saturday, March 11 for another meeting with Rutgers in the Bubly Invitational at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Florida that’s scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. (CST)

No television coverage is available for Round 2 with the Scarlet Knights, but a radio broadcast will be carried on 103.3 FM The Goat and the Varsity Network. Live stats will be provided at CajunStats.com.

Louisiana claimed the first matchup with Rutgers on Friday (March 10) keyed by two RBI off the bat of Laney Credeur and a lockdown relief effort from Kandra Lamb who hurled 5-2/3 scoreless innings in the 3-0 triumph.