UL Softball Records Road Win Over McNeese

The 12th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns got back on the winning track with a road win over a state rival on Wednesday night.

Louisiana defeated the McNeese St. Cowgirls, 5-4, in a non-conference contest in Lake Charles.

Justice Milz launched a three-run home run in the top half of the 6th inning to help lift Louisiana to the come-from-behind victory.

The triumph was the second in as many tries against McNeese for the Cajuns this season, after an 8-7 extra-innings win over the Cowgirls last Wednesday at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park.

The win, which ended a short two-game losing streak, opened a busy week of action for UL, who will play four more non-conference games this week, all of them on the road.

McNeese got on the scoreboard first, scoring two runs in the bottom half of the first inning when Cori McCrary belted a two-run home run, her fifth of the season, which gave them a quick 2-0 lead.

Louisiana scored its first run of the contest in the top half of the second inning when Jenna Kean walked to leadoff the frame, before later scoring on a run-scoring single off the bat of Kendall Talley, which trimmed the deficit to 2-1.

The Cowgirls got the two-run run right back n the bottom half of the second inning when Caleigh Cross delivered a clutch two-out single, scoring Padyn Williams to make it 3-1.

McNeese continued to score in every inning, adding one run in the bottom half of the third inning, when Jill Poullard walked before scoring on a single by Caylon Brabham, which extended the margin to 4-1.

That would be the final run of the game for McNeese however.

The Cajuns took the lead in the top half of the 6th inning, scoring four runs on four hits, all with two outs.

Alissa Dalton and Ciara Bryan hit back-to-back doubles, and then Kaitly Alderink singled before Milz crushed a three-run homer, her second of the season, to give Louisiana a 5-4 lead.

Then turned out to be the final runs of the game, as UL held on for the 5-4 triumph

Louisiana, who outhit McNeese, 12-7, was led at the plate by Milz, who went 3-for-4 with a homer and three runs batted in, while Bryan went 3-for-4 with a run scored.

In a losing cause for McNeese, McCrary delivered a homer.

Casey Dixon (3-0) recorded the win in the circle for the Cajuns, tossing two-thirds of shutout softball in relief, while Summer Ellyson pitched two innings of shutout softball to pick up her first save of the season.

Whitney Tate (0-5) suffered the loss for the Cowgirls, allowing five runs on 11 over 5.2 innings of work.

View the game box score.

With the victory, Louisiana improved to 10-3 on the season, while McNeese dropped to 3-12.

The Cajuns return to action on Thursday evening when they play host to Baylor in a non-conference single game scheduled for 6 o'clock.