The 22nd-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajun softball team started their 2018 season on a positive note on Thursday night.

Louisiana defeated the Samford Bulldogs, 7-1, in the season opener for both teams. in the first day of play in the Mardi Gras Classic.

The Gerry Glasco era of Ragin’ Cajuns Softball got off to a good start, as the win was the first for Glasco as a Division I coach.

Freshman pitcher, Casey Dixon, pitching on her 19th birthday, picked up her first collegiate win in the circle, pitching four innings of two hit ball, while allowing only one run. Dixon also struck out six Bulldog hitters in the contest.

Kara Boswell pitched two scoreless innings of relief and Kylee Jo Trahan pitched a scoreless inning for the Cajuns in the seventh.

Samford scored a single run in the top half of the first inning as leadoff hitter Ryan Brzozoski singled and moved to second on a Shelby Maze sacrifice bunt, before scoring on a Madison Couch two out single, giving them a quick 1-0 lead.

Louisiana tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom half of the second inning when Kara Gremillion scored on a Brittany Holland sacrifice fly.

The Cajuns took the lead in the bottom half of the third inning, as they put up a four-spot to take a 5-1 lead.

Casidy Chaumont, on a 3-0 count, led off the inning with a home run to right center field, in her first collegiate at bat.

Taylor DeCelles entered the game in the circle for the Bulldogs and the first hitter DeCelles faced, Kelli Martinez reached on a bunt single. Martinez scored as Oklahoma transfer Allisa Dalton singled to center field for her first career hit and RBI as a Cajun.

Dalton advanced to third on a Beth Ashley single and scored as Kara Gremillion lined out to left field. Beth Ashley scored the innings final run as Holland singled up the middle for her first hit and RBI as a Ragin’ Cajun.

The Cajuns ended the frame scoring four runs on five hits, to take a commanding 5-1 advantage.

Louisiana added two insurance runs in the bottom half of the 4th inning, including an RBI double by Chaumont, to make it 7-1, a lead they would hold to, as they went on to the 6-run win.

UL, who outhit Samford, 8-4, was paced at the plate by Chaumont, who went 2-for-3, including a home run, a double, and 2 runs batted in, while Beth Ashley also added two hits.

With the win, Louisiana is now 1-0 on the season, while Samford dropped to 0-1.

The Cajuns will play twice on Friday, taking on Eastern Illinois at 4:30 pm, before facing Evansville at 7 o'clock.

You can listen to both games on ESPN 1420 and espn1420.com.

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