UL Softball Blanks ULM In SBC Tourney

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns began postseason play in the 2021 college softball season on a high note on Wednesday.

14th-ranked Louisiana defeated the ULM Warhawks, 7-0, on the second day of play in the Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship in Troy, Alabama.

Louisiana, the top-seed, has won the event 15 times in the 20 years of completed play.

The Cajuns, who have now won 25 of their last 29 games, reach the 40-win mark this year for the 22nd-consecutive season.

UL, who is now 62-9 in the event's history has appeared in the last six championship games and last captured the tournament title back in 2019 in San Marcos, Texas.

Louisiana got on the scoreboard first, scoring four runs, all with two outs, on five hits in the bottom half of the third inning, including a run-scoring double off the bat of Kendall Talley, as well as run-scoring singles by Kaitlyn Alderink and Justice Milz, which gave them a 4-0 lead.

The Cajuns added to the lead in the bottom half of the fourth inning, scoring two runs on a two-run sacrifice fly off the bat of Alderink, which widened their advantage to 6-0.

Louisiana scored an insurance run in the bottom half of the sixth inning when Ciara Bryan walked, stole second, and then scored on a throwing error, making it 7-0.

That's all the Cajuns would need, as they cruised to the 7-0 triumph.

Louisiana, who outhit ULM, 12-6, was led at the plate by Alderink, who went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in, while Sophie Piskos collected two hits.

In a losing cause for ULM, Jessica Williams collected their only hit.

Kandra Lamb (16-4) recorded the win in the circle for the Cajuns, tossing five innings of one-hit shutout softball.

Gianni Hulett (6-10) suffered the loss for the Warhawks, allowing four runs on four hits over 2.2 innings of work.

View the game box score.

With the victory, Louisiana improved to 41-10 on the season, while ULM dropped 17-31.

The Cajuns return to action on Thursday at 10 a.m. when they face the South Alabama/Applachian St. winner.