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Hudek, Ellyson power Cajuns to Sunday sweep

Cajuns move to 11-3 on season
Posted at 6:35 PM, Feb 23, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-23 19:35:14-05

BIRMINGHAM, Ala — Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball took control early leaving little doubt in an 8-1 win over Ole Miss, then battled back late for a 7-4 win over UAB on the final day of the Blazer Classic at Mary Bowers Field.

The sweep extended the 9th-ranked Ragin’ Cajuns winning streak to four games and improved the squad’s mark to 11-3 heading into showdowns with Top 10 foes Texas and Florida next week.

Three doubles in the first inning, the latter from Sarah Hudek plating two runs, staked Louisiana out to a 3-0 lead against Ole Miss (5-10) before the Rebels even stepped to the plate.

The Ragin’ Cajuns kept the pressure on in the second inning as Kaitlyn Alderink stole home and Hudek delivered her third RBI to stretch the lead to 5-0.

That was ample support for Summer Ellyson who turned in another dominant performance, not allowing a base hit to the Rebels until the fourth inning. She yielded just one run and three hits over seven innings, faced just three over the minimum, and struck out five.

The tournament finale with the host-Blazers (8-7) saw the lead swap hands three times before the Ragin’ Cajuns secured the victory.

The teams exchanged unearned runs early, with UAB picking one up in the first inning and the Ragin’ Cajuns grabbing a pair in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead.

Melissa Mayeux doubled to start off the fifth inning and later scored on an RBI single from Alderink increasing the Louisiana advantage to 3-1. The Blazers wouldn’t go away, though, as their first three batters in the bottom half of the inning all reached base, setting the stage for three runs which gave the hosts a 4-3 lead.

The Ragin’ Cajuns answered immediately in the top half of the sixth inning. Julie Rawls tripled into the right field corner to score Raina O’Neal, who led off with a single, and even the score. On the next at bat, Taylor Roman delivered a pinch-hit RBI single to give Louisiana the lead for good.

Hudek punctuated her solid day at the plate, and provided extra run support, with a two-run home run in the seventh inning which extended the lead to 7-4. Ellyson, who relieved Megan Kleist in the fifth inning, retired the Blazers in order to wrap up a one-hit relief effort that spanned 2-2/3 innings.