Ragin’ Cajuns strike early, Schorman tames Hoosiers

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The No. 22-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball team pieced together runs and Meghan Schorman kept Indiana off balance throughout the game leading to a 4-1 win in the team’s opening game at the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Florida.

The win extended the undefeated start to the 2023 season for Louisiana, now at 5-0. It also marked the program’s all-time 1,800th victory, making the Ragin’ Cajuns the fifth (5th) program in NCAA D1Softball history to reach the mark joining UCLA, Arizona, Florida State and Texas A&M.

Louisiana struck quick off of IU starting pitcher Heather Johnson when Alexa Langeliers singled home Maddie Hayden who led off the game with a double down the left field line for a 1-0 lead over the Hoosiers (3-2) in the first inning.

In the team’s next at bat, Karly Heath made it 2-0 when a leadoff home run in the second inning that chased Johnson.

Schorman, who worked around a base runner each of the first two innings, got a strikeout and induced a pop up after an IU runner reached scoring position in the third inning to preserve the two-run advantage.

The offense rewarded her with an additional run in the fourth inning courtesy of doubles from Heath and Victoria Valdez made it 3-0, then in the bottom half of the frame Schorman notched back-to-back strikeouts to leave a pair of Hoosiers on the base path.

Stormy Kotzelnick’s leadoff triple in the sixth inning set her up to score an extra insurance run off a two-out wild pitch, then Schorman retired the Hoosiers in order in the bottom of the inning.

Indiana picked up a run on a two-out RBI single from Taryn Kern in the seventh inning, but Kandra Lamb needed just two pitches to shut down the two-out rally.

Heath sparked the Ragin’ Cajuns against Indiana for the second straight season, finishing 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, double and solo home run. Last spring in Bloomington, Heath was 2-for-3 with a double, home run and five RBI in the late-April 2022 matchup between the two programs.

Kotzelnick (2-for-3, triple) joined Heath in posting a multiple-hit game in the Clearwater opener. Valdez’s RBI double in the fourth inning stretched her season-opening hitting streak to five games.

Schorman pitched 6-2/3 innings of scoreless softball with seven strikeouts while scattering five hits before IU broke through with two outs in the seventh. She only issued one walk, yielded just single hits three times over the first six innings and twice posted multiple strikeouts in an inning.

Thursday’s game marked Louisiana’s official debut in the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational and the program’s first return to the Eddie C. Moore Complex since participating in the NFCA Leadoff Classic from the 2012 through 2014 seasons.

The Ragin’ Cajuns are off to a 5-0 start for the third consecutive season and fifth time in six years with Gerry Glasco.

The IU matchup marked the first of six consecutive outings for Louisiana against Power 5 competition while out in Clearwater.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
No. 22 Louisiana continues play in the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational on Friday, February 17 facing Michigan (4-1) at 5:00 p.m. (CST) on Field 1 at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.

The Ragin’ Cajuns-Wolverines matchup can be viewed on ESPN+ with Drew Carter and Jenny Dalton-Hill providing commentary. Radio coverage, with the call from Jay Walker and Bobby Neveaux, is available in the Acadiana region on 103.3 FM and 1420 AM and worldwide through the Ragin’ Cajuns Digital Network (links available on softball schedule page at RaginCajuns.com).

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