Ragin’ Cajuns sweep past Warhawks on final day of softball regular season

MONROE – The No. 22-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball team captured a pair of 10-3 wins in a doubleheader with ULM on Saturday, May 7 at the ULM Softball Complex, completing a three-game series sweep of the host-Warhawks.

Louisiana (41-11, 23-4 Sun Belt) also extended its nation-leading total of consecutive conference series won to 73 straight, a streak which began in March 2013. The Ragin’ Cajuns reached the 40-win mark after Game 1 of the twinbill, marking the 23rd consecutive season the program achieves the milestone.

Like the final scores, the path to Saturday’s sweep was identical: the Ragin’ Cajuns used a big fourth inning both times to surpass the Warhawks (27-26, 10-17 Sun Belt) for good.

Louisiana extended its current winning streak to a season-high tying nine games, won for the 18th time in the past 19 games and finished the second half of the season (since March 25) with a 24-3 record.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 1)
ULM carried a 3-1 lead after three complete innings courtesy of a home run swing from Madison Blount.

The Ragin’ Cajuns were able to chase Victoria Abrams in the fourth inning after three straight batters reached with one out, culminating in an RBI single from Stormy Kotzelnick that sliced the ULM lead to 3-2. Laney Credeur greeted reliever Adrianna Chavarria with a two-run single that lifted Louisiana into a 4-3 lead.

Melissa Mayeux added an RBI single and Karly Heath posted a sacrifice fly as the Ragin’ Cajuns stretched the lead to 6-3 before the Warhawks close out the top of the fourth inning.

That jolt of offense was a boost to Meghan Schorman (5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K) who went on to shutout the Warhawks the rest of the way. She took over after Blount’s home run in the second inning and proceeded to toss 5-2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Kotzelnick (2-for-5, double, 4 RBI) sparked another big inning in the fifth inning when her two-run double brought in the first of four runs that extended the Ragin’ Cajuns lead to 10-3.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 2)
The Ragin’ Cajuns struck first with a first-inning home run from Jourdyn Campbell, but were in a similar position as earlier in the day after the Warhawks plated a pair of runs on a two-out rally in the second inning and took a 2-1 lead into the fourth inning.

Louisiana delivered a six-run knockout punch in the fourth inning. It started with a two-run double from Mayeux (1-for-4, double, 2 RBI) and a two-run home run from Heath (1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI) that immediately followed, opening a 5-2 lead and chasing Abrams once again. Kotzelnick added on a two-run homer to finish off the big inning and up the advantage to 7-2.

Sam Landry (4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K) kept momentum in the Ragin’ Cajuns dugout with a scoreless frame in her final inning of work. Schorman and Kandra Lamb held ULM in check the rest of way punctuated by a pair of no-hit innings from Lamb to end the day.

Home runs from Alexa Langeliers (2-for-3, 2 runs, HR, RBI) and Samantha Graeter (1-for-1, HR, 2 RBI) vaulted the Ragin’ Cajuns into double figures in runs for the third time in the series.

The Ragin’ Cajuns launched four home runs to increase its series total to eight and push its season home run total to 70 (highest mark of Glasco era).

UP NEXT
Louisiana turns its attention to postseason play which begins with the Sun Belt Conference Tournament set for Tuesday-Saturday, May 10-14 in Mobile, Ala., at Jaguar Field on the campus of the University of South Alabama.

The two-time defending tournament champion Ragin’ Cajuns will begin defense of their title on Wednesday, May 11 at 10 a.m. against the winner of Tuesday’s game between No. 8 ULM and No 9 Coastal Carolina. Click here for the SBC bracket.