BOONE, N.C. – For the second consecutive day the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball team took an early lead and put App State away in the late innings, posting a 10-1 win on Sunday, April 24 at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium to claim the series victory.
Home runs from Karly Heath and Alexa Langeliers provided the Ragin’ Cajuns (34-11, 17-4 Sun Belt) a 4-0 advantage through three innings. Then in the seventh inning a five-run frame, highlighted by a pinch-hit home run from Laney Credeur, expanded a 5-1 advantage and left little doubt in the outcome.
Louisiana’s pitching staff had App State (26-20, 8-11 Sun Belt) puzzled once again as Kandra Lamb (3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 5 K) and Sam Landry (3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 K) combined to yield a single run, scatter five hits and strike out 10 batters.
Sunday’s result followed up Saturday’s 8-2 win and completed the Ragin’ Cajuns series comeback after falling 4-1 in the opener on Friday. The win also kept Louisiana atop the Sun Belt standings no matter the other outcomes in the league on Sunday.
The series victory extended the Ragin’ Cajuns nation-leading total of consecutive conference series won to 71 straight, a streak which began back in March 2013.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Louisiana scored in each of its first three trips to the plate to grab the 4-0 lead: Heath hit a solo home run in the first, Langeliers added a two-run shot in the second inning, and then Heath went yard again in the third inning.
Lamb protected the early advantage as she worked around an App State base runner in the first and second inning and struck out the side in the third inning.
The Mountaineers used a leadoff double in the fourth inning to plate a run, but Landry entered in relief and shut down the hosts’ rally.
After a scoreless fifth inning, the Ragin’ Cajuns turned to the short game and aggressive swinging to speed up game and force a pair of App State miscues that resulted in a run. Back-to-back bunts led to two runners on base, then a dropped fly ball and double steal later pushed across a run.
The 5-1 lead grew in the seventh on a Langeliers sacrifice fly, however it didn’t stop there as Credeur’s home run drove in the first of four runs the Ragin’ Cajuns scored with two outs before the Mountaineers could close the inning.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BOX SCORE
Heath (2-for-2, 2 HR, 2 RBI), who homered for the third straight day, increased her team-leading home run total to 11 and closed the series with four home runs. She’s now tied with Sarah Hudek for the most home runs by an individual in the Glasco era.
Langeliers finished with a game-high three RBI boosted by the home run in her first at bat. She posted her third outing of at least three RBI and picked up the ninth home run of her collegiate debut season.
Ari Quiñones finished 3-for-4 at the plate netting her highest base hits output as a Ragin’ Cajun. She turned the lineup over in the sixth and seventh innings, leading to a run produced each time.
Credeur’s home run in the seventh inning was Louisiana’s fourth of the contest, marking the most the squad hit since posting five on March 12 vs. Georgia State.
The late-game push from the offense increased the total runs Louisiana scored over the final two innings in the series to 13. Over the final two games, the Ragin’ Cajuns plated 11 runs in the seventh inning.
The combined 10 strikeouts from Lamb and Landry gave the Ragin’ Cajuns pitching staff double-digit strikeouts in all three games of the series. The unit collected 37 strikeouts of App State batters over the 20 innings worked.
UP NEXT
Louisiana returns home for the final homestand of the season at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park which begins on Wednesday, April 27 with a 6:00 p.m. single game vs. Houston (24-22-1).
Following the UH game, the Ragin’ Cajuns host Coastal Carolina (18-23, 4-14 Sun Belt) from Friday-Saturday, April 29-30 for Senior Weekend. The series is now a 6:00 p.m. single game on Friday (April 29) and 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday (April 30).
All games on the homestand are being televised on ESPN+. Radio coverage is available on ESPN Lafayette 103.3 FM and 1420 AM in the Acadiana region and worldwide on the ESPN Lafayette app.
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