Ruston – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball team gave up a three-point lead and lost to Louisiana Tech 5-3 on Wednesday, March 20, at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field in Ruston.
Louisiana State (18-13) took a quick 3-0 lead with singles in its first three at-bats, but the host Bulldogs (20-5) scored four runs in the bottom of the third. did. to flip the lead in their favor.
LA Tech took a convincing run in the fourth and fended off a two-out rally from the Cajuns in the final two frames to earn its first series win since April 1998 and end its losing streak to UL at 31.
The Cajuns were outplayed by their opponents, ending their season-best nine-game winning streak and suffering their first loss of the season.
UL got off to an early start with two miscues from Tech in the first inning. Victoria Valdez's solo home run in the second and Alexa Langeliers' two-out RBI in the third extended the advantage to 3-0.
The Bulldogs tied the score in the bottom of the third inning on a three-run home run by Alana Rodgers (aided by two walks), then took advantage of a Cajuns throwing error to take the lead.
Rodgers hit a two-out RBI in the fourth inning against Los Angeles Tech, giving him his fourth RBI of the tournament and extending the lead to 5-3.
Louisiana had singles by Jordyn Campbell and Michael Davis in the sixth inning, advancing runners to second and third base with two outs. However, the Bulldogs got the necessary ground ball out to maintain the lead. Then, in the seventh inning, Brooke Elestad's two-out single followed by another grounder.
Davis went 2-for-4 with multiple hits for his 14th game, Valdez hit his fourth home run, and Langeliers moved into third place on the team with 18 RBIs.
Sam Landry (4.0 IP, 5 R, 3 BB, 2 K) was charged with a loss that ended his personal eight-game winning streak. Chloe Liassett pitched two perfect innings as a reliever, striking out all six batters and preventing the Bulldogs from scoring any more runs.
Next up is Louisiana.
Louisiana State will host Yvette Girouard at Rumson Park in its Sun Belt Conference home opener scheduled for Friday-Sunday, March 22-24 against Coastal Carolina (18-11, 1-2 SBC). Return to the field. It's Youth League weekend, with post-game Easter races and photos with the Easter Bunny on Saturday drawing attention.
The three-game series between the Cajuns and Chanticleers begins Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m., and Sunday at 12 p.m.
The entire series will be broadcast on ESPN+, with radio broadcasts available on The Goat 103.3 FM and 1420 AM in the Acadiana region and on The Varsity Network worldwide.
