PRESS RELEASE
LAFAYETTE – 22nd-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball captured the series victory from Georgia Southern by posting a 9-0 (5 inn.) triumph on Sunday at Lamson Park.
Louisiana (31-12, 16-5 Sun Belt) took advantage of free bases and piled up nine hits over the second and third innings combined to generate its run production.
Summer Ellyson and Casey Dixon combined for a three-hit shutout of the Eagles (24-22, 8-13 Sun Belt) – the second blanking of the visitors in the series.
With the victory, the Ragin’ Cajuns extended their string of consecutive Sun Belt series won to 44 dating back to March 2013.
The teams entered Sunday’s series finale with the victory for the taking after splitting doubleheader on Saturday.
UP NEXT
No. 22 Louisiana travels to Arlington, Texas for the final road Sun Belt Conference series of the season. The series with UTA is set for Saturday-Sunday, April 28-29 at Allan Saxe Field.
LEADING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS
Kara Gremillion drove home a game-high three RBI, the highlight a two-run single in the third inning that stretched the lead to 7-0.
Lexie Comeaux provided two RBI for the Ragin’ Cajuns off a sacrifice fly and fielder’s choice grounder.
Louisiana’s 7-8-9 hitters, consisting of Kelli Marinez, Kalyn Watts and Jolie Readeaux, each tallied two hits and sparked the big-run innings in the second and third.
Ellyson struck out five in four innings of work and stranded five Eagles runners. Dixon closed in the fifth inning, wrapping up the pitching staff’s eighth shutout of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first push from the Ragin’ Cajuns 7-8-9 trio set scoring in motion in the second inning. Martinez singled to place Carrie Boswell (one-out walk) in scoring position then Watts drove a single to center to plate the first run.
Readeaux followed with an infield single to load the bases. Louisiana would push across a run in each of the next four plate appearances to open a 5-0 lead.
The third inning began with a jumpstart from Martinez, Watts and Readeaux who all singled to load the bases. Gremillion singled up the middle for the first two runs, then the margin reached run-rule territory when two Cajuns crossed during an attempted double play off a Comeaux ground ball.
NOTEWORTHY
– Summer Ellyson extended her current string of consecutive scoreless innings pitched to 22. She had a hand in both shutouts in the Georgia Southern series.
– Including Monday’s win over Texas State, Summer Ellyson pitched 25 innings for the week and limited foes to one run. She turned in a 4-0 performance with a 0.28 ERA and yielded just 15 hits.
– Kara Gremillion increased her season RBI total to 19, leaving her one shy of reaching 20 RBI for the third straight season.
– Kara Gremillion picked up her 15th multiple-hit game of the season. The junior third baseman now has 42 career multiple-hit outings.
– Jolie Readeaux’s two hits increased her series-leading total to five. In three starts vs. Georgia Southern, she was 5-for-10 at the plate and posted three RBI.
– Lexie Comeaux posted her second multiple-RBI game in the past four outings (two RBI at McNeese). She pushed her season total to 25 RBI, moving her into a tie with Beth Ashley for the team lead.
– Louisiana’s 10 hits marked the seventh time in April (out of 13 games) that the squad has reached double figures.
– Since the Georgia State series (April 7-8), the Ragin’ Cajuns offense has produced at least five hits each game.
– Louisiana’s pitchers limited Georgia Southern to a .169 average. It’s the fifth time in seven SBC series the pitching staff held foes to a sub-.200 average.
– The Ragin’ Cajuns improved to 12-2 all-time vs. Georgia Southern and picked up the Sun Belt series win for the fourth time in as many meetings.