Oklahoma State sneaks in run in pitcher’s duel with Louisiana-Lafayette

@RaginCajunsSB edged in its opening game at the UAB Blazer Classic

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In a classic pitcher’s duel between Louisiana’s Megan Kleist and Oklahoma State’s Carrie Eberle that featured a combined three hits allowed, it was an unearned run scored by the Cowgirls that made the difference in a 1-0 contest at the UAB Blazer Classic.

A leadoff walk, followed by an error, led to the game’s lone tally in the third inning. Mady Lohman, who drew the walk, slid into home underneath the tag on a fielder’s choice grounder for what proved to be the winning run for No. 8 Oklahoma State (7-4).

The 9th-ranked Ragin’ Cajuns (7-3) threatened in their four at bats following the Cowgirls’ tally, getting a runner in scoring position for four consecutive innings. Each time, though, Eberle managed to wiggle out of trouble.

Kleist didn’t budge an inch the entire afternoon, not allowing a base hit until the sixth inning – the lone hit that she allowed in the contest. She wound up recording nine strikeouts in the hard-luck loss.

Eberle was able to keep the Louisiana offense in check by inducing 13 ground ball outs. She yielded just two hits and struck out six.

DIAMOND NOTES
• Louisiana has three losses on the young season, all coming by one run.
• Sarah Hudek and Kendall Talley extended their hitting streaks to seven games and six games, respectively.
• Sarah Hudek has reached base in all 10 games that Louisiana has played, the lone player on the roster with the distinction.
• Sarah Hudek’s double in the fourth inning marked her team-leading sixth extra base hit (3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs).
• Louisiana faced a nationally ranked foe for the third consecutive game. It continues a stretch in which the squad faces a Top 25-ranked team nine times over a stretch of 12 games.
• For the second time in five starts, Megan Kleist limited the opposition to just one base hit. She’s garnered five starts and held foes to five hits or fewer each time.
• Megan Kleist’s nine strikeouts were two off of her season-high, and the fourth time in five starts she’s posted at least eight strikeouts.
• The Ragin’ Cajuns and Cowgirls met for the first time since the 2003 NCAA Regional matchup in Fullerton, Calif., and it was the first regular season matchup since March 1998.
• Louisiana competed at UAB’s Mary Bowers Field for the first time in program history.

UP NEXT
Louisiana continues play in the UAB Blazer Classic at Mary Bowers Field in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, Feb. 22 beginning with a rematch against Oklahoma State at 10 a.m., followed by a matchup with Ole Miss approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the game with OSU.

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