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No. 18 Cajuns Overwhelm Georgia State in Series-Opening Doubleheader Sweep

Posted at 11:37 PM, Apr 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-08 00:37:49-04

Press Release

ATLANTA – 18th-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball generated 27 hits and received strong starts from Summer Ellyson and Carrie Boswell in capturing an 8-4, 12-1 doubleheader sweep of Georgia State.

Beth Ashley delivered three run-scoring hits, Casidy Chaumont broke the game open in the third inning with a bases-clearing double and Summer Ellyson held Georgia State to two hits over six innings in the Game 1 triumph.

In Game 2, Lexie Comeaux accounted for half the team’s run production with a career-high tying six RBI and Carrie Boswell, making her first career Sun Belt start, limited the Panthers to a single run in six innings of work.

Louisiana (25-9, 12-2 Sun Belt) picked up its fifth Sun Belt series win in as many tries and claimed its 42nd consecutive league set dating back to March 2013.

The Ragin’ Cajuns set their season-high for hits in Sun Belt play in both games, producing 12 in the opener and following up with 15 in the nightcap.

UP NEXT

No. 18 Louisiana and Georgia State (19-18, 4-9 Sun Belt) meet in the series finale on Sunday at Robert E. Heck Softball Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. (CDT).

Fans can hear the game on SportsRadio ESPN 1420-AM in the Acadiana region and worldwide on the ESPN 1420 app. Live stats will be available at CajunStats.com.

THE BASICS OF GAME 1

Ashley (3-for-4) led the way with three hits and joined Chaumont in collecting a game-high three RBI. Kourtney Gremillion (2-for-3) and Brittany Rodriguez (2-for-4) each turned in a two-hit performance.

Ellyson (13-5, 1.69 ERA) struck out seven and faced just four over the minimum in improving to 7-1 in Sun Belt Conference play.

Louisiana hit 9-for-13 with two outs and produced all of its runs in the situation.

The Ragin’ Cajuns put the game out of reach in the third inning after back-to-back RBI singles from Ashley and Comeaux chased GSU starting pitcher Kinsley Jennings and Chaumont greeted reliever Amanda Chance with a bases-clearing double which stretched the lead to 6-0.

The Panthers trimmed the final deficit down to four runs off three consecutive solo home runs in the bottom of the seventh.

THE BASICS OF GAME 2

Kara Gremillion led the Cajuns 15-hit attack with a 4-for-4 showing at the plate. Comeaux posted three run-scoring hits (single, double, homer) in collecting her six RBI.

Ashley added two more RBI, increasing her total for the day to five. Alissa Dalton (3-for-5, 3 runs, RBI) picked up her team-leading 13th multiple-hit game and extended her hitting streak to seven games.

Boswell, provided a 3-0 lead in the first inning, held the Panthers in check until the offense exploded for nine runs over the final two innings. She stranded two GSU runners in the second and third, then faced only one over the minimum over the two innings following the Panthers tally in the third inning.

Breathing room was provided in the top of the sixth when Gremillion (double) and Ashley (single) brought home runs in back-to-back at bats and Comeaux added an RBI double to extended the lead to 6-1.

The Ragin’ Cajuns left little doubt in the outcome, and made reliever Kylee Jo Trahan’s job much easier, with a six-run seventh that was highlighted by a Comeaux grand slam.

NOTEWORTHY

– Louisiana hit .593 (16-for-27) with two outs in the doubleheader. Of the 20 runs scored, 17 were driven in with two outs.

– Summer Ellyson’s seven strikeouts marked her 12th appearance of five-plus strikeouts, six coming in the past seven outings.

– With five RBI, Beth Ashley pushed her season total to 24 which surpasses her previous career-best of 20 set as a redshirt freshman in 2017.

– Lexie Comeaux’s six RBI in Game 2 matched her career-high total reached on April 29, 2017 vs. Coastal Carolina.

– Lexie Comeaux (16) and Beth Ashley (14) have now combined for 30 RBI in Sun Belt play.

– Kylee Jo Trahan appeared in the seventh inning of both games. She did not allow a hit in two innings of scoreless softball pitched.

– Five different Ragin’ Cajuns produced at least four hits in the doubleheader – Kara Gremillion (5-for-8), Lexie Comeaux (4-for-7), Beth Ashley (4-for-7), Brittany Rodriguez (4-for-8) and Alissa Dalton (4-for-9).

– Carrie Boswell made her first start in the pitching circle since Feb. 17 vs. No. 2 Florida. The six inning pitched marked her season-long outing.

– During her current seven-game hitting streak, Alissa Dalton is batting .500 (12-for-24). That’s raised her season average to .388.

– Louisiana extended its series winning streak over Georgia State to 20 games. The Ragin’ Cajuns are a perfect 14-0 in Sun Belt regular season games against the Panthers.

– Louisiana improved to 24-2 all-time vs. Georgia State. The Ragin’ Cajuns now hold an 8-0 advantage in games played in Atlanta.