BATON ROUGE – No. 7 Louisiana State used a two-run first inning to stay one step ahead of the 12th-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and claimed a 4-3 win in the rematch of the weekend home-and-home set between the two programs.
The Ragin’ Cajuns (7-2) would draw even twice, but each time the Tigers (7-1) would find an answer.
It was Melissa Mayeux leading off with a solo home run that sparked a two-run third inning for Louisiana, capped off by an RBI single from Alissa Dalton, which knotted the score at 2-all.
An inning later and Louisiana State’s second home run of the contest, a solo shot to straightaway center from Morgan Cummins returned the lead to the hosts.
Louisiana’s leadoff batter reached for the fourth time in the contest and it led to a run scoring in the sixth inning after an errant throw on a Raina O’Neal bouncing ground ball up the middle.
The Tigers had an answer once again, as three hits in the bottom half of the sixth inning resulted in the game-winning run – brought in by Cummins with her second RBI of the game.
The Ragin’ Cajuns got the leadoff batter aboard in the seventh inning and eventually moved the tying run into scoring position. Louisiana State reliever Ali Kilponen held off the rally to secure the win.
Mayeux was Louisiana’s leading hitter in the contest with a 2-for-3 showing which included her second home run of the season. Summer Ellyson struck out six and scattered five hits in four innings of work. Megan Kleist was dealt the loss in relief as the Tigers rallied during her second inning of relief.
DIAMOND NOTES
- The Ragin’ Cajuns and Tigers played a one-run contest for the second straight day.
- Melissa Mayeux became the fourth Ragin’ Cajun to reach multiple home runs this season. Overall, eight different individuals have hit at least one home run.
- Louisiana had the leadoff batter reach base in five of its seven at bats.
- Kendall Talley led off the game with a single, extending her hitting streak to five games since taking over as Louisiana’s leadoff batter. During the streak she is batting 8-for-14 (.571).
- Alissa Dalton drove home at least run for the third time in the past five outings. The senior shortstop finished the week with six RBI.
- Summer Ellyson has struck out at least six batters in all five of her starts.
- Both of the Ragin’ Cajuns defeats in the 2020 season have come by just one run.
- The loss snapped Louisiana’s five-game winning streak, which dated back to the previous Saturday.
- Louisiana and Louisiana State met for just the second time in the regular season dating back to 2001.
UP NEXT
No. 12 Louisiana travels to Birmingham, Ala., to compete in the UAB Blazer Classic scheduled for Friday-Sunday, Feb. 21-23 at Mary Bowers Field. During the weekend event, the Ragin' Cajuns are set to face nationally ranked Oklahoma State and Ole Miss twice.
The squad begins play in the tournament on Friday, Feb. 21 with matchups against OSU at 12:30 p.m. and host-UAB at 5:30 p.m.