Press Release
RAGIN’ CAJUNS SOFTBALL: 18th-Ranked Ragin’ Cajuns Edged in Extra Innings Battle in Atlanta
LAFAYETTE – Georgia State rallied twice, once to force extras and the other to walk-off with the win, as 18th-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball fell 7-6 (13 inn.) in the series finale in Atlanta.
Louisiana (25-10, 12-3 Sun Belt) had snapped a tie in the sixth inning with a Kalyn Watts two-run homer and added an additional run in the seventh inning off a Casidy Chaumont double that increased the lead to 5-2. The Panthers (20-18, 5-9 Sun Belt) extended the game with three unearned runs in the seventh.
The Ragin’ Cajuns were the first to score in extras when a Brittany Rodriguez leadoff double in the 13th inning led to a Beth Ashley sacrifice fly and a 6-5 edge. Georgia State responded, stringing together three hits in the bottom of the inning to pull off the second rally of the contest.
Louisiana entered the day with the series victory in hand – which marked the 42nd consecutive SBC series win dating back to March 2013 – after an 8-1, 12-4 doubleheader sweep on Saturday.
With 12 hits in the contest, the Ragin’ Cajuns reached double digits all three games in the series and totaled 39.
UP NEXT
The Ragin’ Cajuns wrap up their six-game road trip on Wednesday in Hammond, La., with a 6 p.m. single game against Southeastern Louisiana.
The Ragin’ Cajuns then return to Lamson Park Saturday-Sunday, April 14-15 for a three-game Sun Belt series against Texas State.
LEADING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS
Kara Gremillion was 3-for-5 at the plate, increasing her series hits total to eight. She collected two RBI, driving in both of the Cajuns first two runs, joining Watts (two-run homer) for the team lead.
Kelli Martinez joined Gremillion in posting a three-hit effort, ending the day 3-for-5 for her first three-hit game of the season.
Summer Ellyson and worked 6-2/3 innings, scattered four hits and yielded just two earned runs in her start in the circle. Kylee Jo Trahan pitched 5-1/3 innings of scoreless relief and stranded runners at second and third in the 10th and 11th innings to extend the game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both squads scored in their first at bat with Louisiana getting an RBI double from Kara Gremillion and Georgia State an RBI single from Megan Litumbe. A leadoff triple in the bottom of the third inning led to a sacrifice fly for GSU giving the hosts a 2-1 lead.
The Ragin’ Cajuns drew even in the fifth inning on Gremillion’s second run-scoring hit of the day, then pulled ahead on Watts’ two-run blast in the sixth inning.
A two-out walk and error gave the Panthers new life in the bottom of the seventh. A McMonigle single continued the frame and trimmed the lead to 5-3, then Arden Jobe doubled into center field to even the score.
A pitching duel between Trahan and Kinsley Jennings ensued, with both holding runners on base each inning through the 12th inning.
Rodriguez’s double led to Louisiana breaking the stalemate in the 13th inning. The Panthers spoiled the Cajuns attempt at finishing off the series sweep when they rallied in the bottom of the inning off reliever Carrie Boswell.
NOTEWORTHY
– Louisiana lost in extra innings for the first time (5-1). The 13-inning battle was the longest game of the season.
– Kalyn Watts’ home run in the sixth inning was her first in a Ragin’ Cajun uniform.
– Alissa Dalton’s fifth inning single extended her current hitting streak to eight games, tying her season-best streak (Feb. 10-23).
– The Ragin’ Cajuns scored two runs with two outs, giving the squad 19 runs scored in two-out situations in the series. Over the weekend, the team hit .477 (21-of-44) with two outs.
– Louisiana’s production with two outs in the series increased the season total of two-out RBI to 69 and raised the team’s average in the situation to .328.
– Kylee Jo Trahan’s 5-1/3 innings of relief marked her longest outing of the season since pitching five innings in a start vs. Iowa on Feb. 11.
– Summer Ellyson’s six strikeouts marked her 13th appearance of five-plus strikeouts, seven coming in the past eight outings.
– Kara Gremillion, who had a team-high eight hits in the series, and completed the weekend hitting .615 (8-for-13).
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For more information on Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball, as well as all of Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics, visit RaginCajuns.com. Fans can also follow along with the team on Facebook (/RaginCajunsSB) and Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB).