UL Softball Falls to LSU in Regional Finals
The 2021 college season came to an end for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns on Sunday in an NCAA Regional.
14th-ranked Louisiana fell to the host school and top-seeded LSU Tigers, 8-5, in the if necessary game of the Baton Rouge Regional in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Sunday.
Louisiana forced a second game after defeating LSU, 2-0, in the first game between the two.
UL, who was playing in the Regional finals for the 13th-consecutive year, went 3-2 in the regional, after a 1-0 win in 11 innings over George Washington on Friday night, followed by a 10-3 setback to LSU on Saturday afternoon, as well as a 4-0 win over McNeese St. on Saturday night.
Louisiana, who lost to LSU four times in five tries this season, is now 81-63, all-time, in NCAA Tournament play, including a 69-40 record in Regionals.
UL, who is now 35-13 in Regional play since 2008, was searching for its 8th-Regional title since NCAA Super Regional play was instituted back in 2005.
UL was making their 22nd-consecutive NCAA Regional appearance, including their 30th in the last 31 years.
In the first game, Jade Gortarez was responsible for the only two runs of the contest, doubling home two runs in the bottom half of the third inning.
But the story was Kandra Lamb, who tossed a three-hit shutout while striking out five hitters.
That was all the Cajuns would need, as they went on to the 2-0 triumph.
In the second game, Louisiana jumped on the scoreboard first when Ciara Bryan crushed a solo home run, her 7th of the season, which gave them a quick 1-0.
LSU responded, however, scoring two runs on a clutch two-out, two-run single off the bat of Georgia Clark, which gave them a 2-1 advantage.
The Tigers widened their advantage in the bottom half of the third inning when Taylor Pleasants smacked a solo homer, her 12th of the season, which extended their lead to 3-1.
LSU added four more runs in the bottom half of the 5th inning, including a three-run homer by Clark, her 9th of the season, which gave them a commanding 7-1 lead.
Bailey Curry hammered a two-run homer, her 6th of the season, in the in the top half of the 6th inning, to trim the deficit to 7-3, but it wasn't enough, as LSU went on to the 8-5 win and the regional title.
With the win, LSU improved to 35-20, while Louisiana concluded its season with an overall record of 47-12.