UL Softball Sweeps Doubleheader From South Alabama

The 7th-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun softball team swept a Sun Belt Conference doubleheader from the 24th-ranked South Alabama Jaguars on Saturday in Mobile, Alabama, winning the opener, 3-2, before taking the second game, 9-3.

In the first game, Louisiana got on the scoreboard first in the top half of the third inning, when Kelsey Vincent delivered a clutch two-out double, scoring Shellie Landry, to make it 1-0.

One batter later, Lexie Elkins scored on a wild pitch, which extended the UL lead to 2-0.

The Cajuns made it 3-0 in the top half of the fifth inning, when Vincent came through again, driving home Cassidy White, who was running for Elkins, to make it 3-0.

South Alabama scored their only two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Chloe Rathburn drove home Emily Messer with an infield single, before Amada Minahan drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Kaleigh Todd, to trim the Louisiana lead to 3-2.

The Jaguars put a runner on in the bottom half of the seventh inning, but couldn't push anything across the plate, as Louisiana held on for he one-run victory, out-hitting South Alabama, 6-3.

Vincent led the way at the plate for the Cajuns, going 2-for-4 with a double and two runs batted in, while Leandra Maly went 3-for-3, along with a sacrifice bunt.

Jordan Wallace (7-1) recorded the win in the circle for the Cajuns, allowing three hits and two runs, while walking three and striking out eight.

Devin Brown (7-3) suffered the loss for South Alabama.

View the first game box score.

In the second game, Louisiana jumped on top early, when they loaded the bases, and then got a fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Samantha Walsh, scoring Haley Hayden, to grab a quick 1-0 lead.

South Alabama tied things up  the bottom half of the first inning, whe Emily Messer singled to lead off the fame, and then later scored on a two-out single off the bat of Chloe Rathburn, mking the score 1-1.

The Cajuns grabbed the lead right back in the top half of the second inning, scoring three runs on only one hit, a Landry single which drove home two runs, to make it 4-1.

Louisiana extended their lead to 5-1 in the top half of the fourth inning, scoring an unearned run, when Hayden singled to begin the inning, and later scored on a sacrifice fly, giving them a four-run lead, before Blair Johnson hit a solo home run fr the Jaguars in the bottom half of the inning, trimming the UL lead to 5-2.

The Cajuns got their four-run lead right back in the top half of the fifth, when Vincent belted a solo homer, increasing their lead to 6-2.

South Alabama scored a run in the bottom half of the fifth inning, to trim the UL lead to 6-3, before Hayden doubled in the top of the sixth, and then later scored her fourth run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Elkins, her third of the game, to make the score 7-3.

Louisiana added two more insurance runs in the top of he seventh, with Maly and D.J. Sanders driving home runs, as the Cajuns went on to the 6-run win, out-hitting the Jaguars, 10-6, to capture the doubleheader sweep.

Vincent paved the way for UL at the plate, going 3-for-4,long with a homer, while Hayden scored four times, and Elkins drove home three runs.

Christina Hamilton (4-1) picked-up the win for Louisiana, tossing a complete-game seven-hitter, while walking two and striking out one.

Devin Brown (7-4) was tabbed with the loss for South Alabama, allowing four runs in only 1.1 innings pitched.

View the second game box score.

With the sweep, the Cajuns are now 17-2, overall, and 2-0 in Sun Belt Conference play, while the Jaguars slipped to 15-5, and 0-2, respectively.

The two teams will conclude their three-game series on Sunday at 1 o’clock.

You can catch all the play-by-play action on ESPN 1420 and espn1420.com.