UL Softball Completes Series Sweep Of Georgia St.
The 18th-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball team continued their dominance of Sun Belt Conference schools on Sunday, downing the Georgia St. Panthers at Lamson Park.
Louisiana defeated Georgia St., 14-6, in 5-inning mercy-rule to complete a three-game series sweep, giving them 5 series sweeps in the 6 conference series that they've played this season.
The Cajuns, who swept a doubleheader from Georgia St. on Saturday, winning by scores of 19-4 and 7-1, ended up outscoring the Panthers in the series, 40-11.
The win extended the Cajuns’ current win streak to four games, and their home win streak to 10 games, while giving them 19 wins in their last 20 games, and 26 in their last 28.
UL has also now won 23 of their last 24 conference games, dating back to last season.
The series triumph also pushed Louisiana's conference series win streak to 35, a school and Sun Belt Conference record.
The Cajuns haven’t lost a league series since 2013, when they dropped 2-of-3 to South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama.
Georgia St. got on the scoreboard first, scoring two runs in the top half of the first inning, when Megan Litumbe belted a two-out, 2-run home run, her 14th of the season, to give them a quick 2-0 lead.
Louisiana answered right back, and in a big way, in the bottom half of the frame, plating 7 runs on 5 hits, including a 3-run homer by Hayden, her 11th of the season, a solo shot by Aleah Craighton, her 12th of the year, and a 2-run double by Kara Gremillion, to grab a 7-2 advantage.
UL sent 11 hitters to the plate in the opening inning, scoring 7 times, giving them 22 first-inning runs in the series.
The Panthers, refusing to waive the white flag, came back in the top half of the 3rd inning, scoring 4 runs on 3 hits, including a two-run single off the bat of Kensey Caldwell, as well as a two-run double by Kirsten McMonigle, to trim the deficit to 7-6.
Georgia St. scored two unearned runs in the frame, making 4 of their 6 runs unearned.
The Cajuns created a little breathing room for themselves in the bottom half of the 4th inning, when Craighton smashed a three-run homer, her second of the contest, and 13th of the season, to widen their lead to 10-6.
Louisiana put the game away in the bottom half of the 5th inning, scoring 4 runs, three of them unearned, as they went on to the 8-run, 5-inning, mercy-rule victory.
Louisiana, who outhit Georgia St., 10-5, was led at the plate by Craighton, who went 3-for-3, to go along with 2 home runs, 2 runs scored and 4 runs batted in, while Hayden also homered.
Alex Stewart (17-3) recorded the win in the circle for the Cajuns, pitching 2.1 innings of shutout relief.
Kinsley Jennings (14-10) suffered the loss for the Panthers, allowing 7 runs on 5 hits, in two-thirds of an inning.
With the victory, Louisiana improved to 36-6, overall, and 17-1 in league play, while Georgia St. dropped to 28-20, and 13-8, respectively.
The Cajuns now lead the all-time series against the Georgia St., 22-2, and have won their last 18-consecutive games against the Panthers.
Louisiana returns to action next weekend, when they play host to Coastal Carolina in a three-game league series, representing the final three home games of the regular season.