Cajuns Reach 40 Wins, Set Sun Belt Wins Record at ULM
MONROE – 15th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball opened its final Sun Belt Conference series of the 2017 season with a 4-0, 6-5 doubleheader sweep of ULM on Saturday at Geo-Surfaces Field on the ULM campus.
With the sweep, Louisiana (41-6, 22-1 Sun Belt) reached 40 wins for the 19th straight season – a streak that dates back to 1999 – and for the 27th time overall in the 37-year history of the program.
The Ragin' Cajuns also extended their streak of consecutive Sun Belt Conference series won to 37 straight dating back to March 2013. It's the fourth consecutive season (2014-17) that the squad has won every SBC series.
Alex Stewart (21-3, 1.89 ERA) pitched a four-hit shutout, improving her season Sun Belt record to 14-0 and her career SBC mark to 35-1, and Kara Gremillion (two RBI singles) and DJ Sanders (sacrifice fly, solo home run) posted two RBI apiece to lead the Ragin' Cajuns offense to the 4-0 win in the opening game of the twinbill.
Haley Hayden's team-leading 18th multiple-hit game of the season included a two-run home run that was part of six straight runs the Ragin' Cajuns scored to open the nightcap. The Warhawks (29-25, 11-15 Sun Belt) chipped away at the lead with five unanswered runs in the middle innings, but Kelli Martinez robbed the hosts of a potential go-ahead home run in the sixth inning and Stewart completed a two-inning save with a perfect seventh inning to wrap up the sweep.
The win in Game 2 was the Ragin' Cajuns 22nd Sun Belt victory of the season, establishing a new record for league victories. The previous SBC-wins record mark was 21 recorded by the 2012 squad (21-3).
Louisiana and ULM conclude the weekend series, and regular season play, with a 12 p.m. single game on Sunday. Fans can hear the contest on SportsRadio ESPN 1420-AM in the Lafayette area and the RadioPup app worldwide. Links for a live video stream and live statistics can be accessed at RaginCajuns.com on the softball schedule page.
After Stewart and ULM's Paige Porter Murray swapped scoreless frames over the first two innings of the opening game, the Ragin' Cajuns were able to push across two runs in the top half of the third to end the stalemate.
Corin Voinchè led off the inning with a single up the middle, followed by an infield single from Kassidy Zeringue. A Martinez sacrifice bunt moved them to second and third, then Gremillion singled to left field for a 1-0 lead. Sanders scored Zeringue from third on a sacrifice fly and Louisiana led 2-0.
The Cajuns added two runs in the top half of the fifth, using the Gremillion-Sanders combo once again to extend their lead to 4-0. Zeringue led off the inning with her second infield single and scored on Gremillion's second RBI single. Sanders followed with her nation-leading 28th home run of the season, which was changed to a solo shot after it was ruled that Gremillion didn't touch second base.
Stewart held the Warhawks hitless until a leadoff single in the fourth inning. She collected three strikeouts and did not walk a hitter in the contest as she pitched a shutout for the third consecutive start.
Louisiana outhit ULM 8-4 in Game1, led by Gremillion and Zeringue with two hits each. Gremillion posted her 16th multiple-hit game, while Zeringue captured her 11th multiple-hit game overall and fourth over a five-game span. Sanders' two RBI marked her team-leading 18th multiple-RBI outing.
Louisiana started the scoring early in Game 2 by plating three runs in the top half of the first. An RBI single by Aleah Craighton scored Gremillion (leadoff walk) from second base with the initial run and the Cajuns were able to add two more runs later in the inning on a misplayed fly ball.
The Ragin' Cajuns extended their lead to 6-0 in the third inning, with the big blast coming on a Hayden's two-run homer, her 12th of the season. Sanders who led off the inning with a single up the middle scored on the Hayden blast. Craighton also singled and later scored on an errant throw.
ULM got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as Sydney McKay led off with a double to left center field and later scored on a Jessie Watts sacrifice fly. A two-run double from Jayden Mount in the Warhawks next at bat trimmed the Louisiana lead to 6-3.
Sami Billeaudeau singled home Melanie Coyne with two outs in the sixth inning to draw the Warhawks within a run at 6-5. Martinez made the defensive play of the day to end the inning as she reached over the left field fence to rob pinch hitter Brie Wrobel of a potential go-ahead home run and keep Stewart's save opportunity intact.
Stewart retired the Warhawks in order in the seventh inning to close the contest out and add a save to her shutout tossed in the day's opening action.
Freshman pitcher Alyssa Denham improved to 15-2 overall and 7-1 in Sun Belt play with the win. She worked five innings, scattered five hits and struck out three.
Pitchers Rachael Murphy, Watts and game one starter Murray, who pitched in succession after starter Sydney Wader was pulled after the first inning, combined to hold Louisiana to three runs over the final six innings to give ULM a chance at the rally. Watts pitched four scoreless innings, allowed only two hits and struck out three Cajun hitters while the Warhawks made their push over the middle innings.
DIAMOND NOTES
- Louisiana extended its series win streak over ULM to 17 games. The Ragin' Cajuns now lead the all-time series 104-27.
- Haley Hayden's two-hit effort in Game 2 upped her season hits total to 58. She's now two hits shy of posting a fourth consecutive season of at least 60 hits.
- Now at 28 home runs, DJ Sanders is two shy of joining Lexie Elkins (32 in 2015) and Danyele Gomez (30 in 2006) as Ragin' Cajuns to hit 30 home runs in a single season.
- The Game 1 home run by DJ Sanders was her 50th career home run.
- Dating back to the Georgia State series (April 22-23), Alex Stewart has allowed just three earned runs and 14 hits over the last 31-2/3 innings pitched in Sun Belt play.
- Louisiana's pair of three-run innings in Game 2 increased the total number of three-plus run innings over the last four weeks to 24.
- Kara Gremillion reached base in both contests to extend her string of consecutive game reaching base to 39. She's reached base in all 23 Sun Belt games this season.
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SB: Mavs Walk-Off Over In-State Rivals To Claim Series
ARLINGTON, Texas - The never-say-quit attitude of the 2017 softball team was on full display in the regular-season finale. UTA rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the seventh and claimed a 4-3 win in the 10th inning against (RV) Texas State to claim its first series win over the in-state rival since 2011 on Saturday at Allan Saxe Field.
Sophomore Krista Rude, who finished with a team-high three hits, plated the walk-off run as she slid at home and avoided the tag with two outs in extra frames. The win boosted the Mavs to 29-24 overall and 14-13 in Sun Belt play. UTA is guaranteed no worse than the No. 5 seed, its highest finish since joining the conference, with games remaining between South Alabama and Troy. If Troy were to win one game, the Mavs would earn the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye in next week's Sun Belt Championship tournament.
"We have competed really hard and have peaked at the right time," UTA coach Kristie Fox said. "We just have to go out there and compete. This is a tough schedule and a tough tournament when you have single-game elimination. We just have to take it one game at a time and see who we get in the first game. We need to keep our head on straight and compete, and not get ahead of ourselves."
Texas State, who had already clinched the No. 2 seed on Friday, went to 39-13 and 18-8.
The Mavs tallied 13 hits overall. Behind Rude's three, Sandra Mendoza and Shelbi Sikes enjoyed two-hit performances. UTA starter Sam Clakley went to 23-12 after pitching all 10 frames, tying the right-handed pitcher for third in single-season wins with Debbie Day. The sophomore struck out four and was on the hook for all three earned runs.
"We finally got to place where we know that we can compete with every team in this conference as long as we show up and handle our business," Fox said. "Being able to go against some of the top pitching heading into next week really helped us prepare us to go into those games on Wednesday."
Things were quiet for the UTA offense as Texas State built up a 3-0 lead with runs scored in the first, third and fifth innings. However, the bats came alive when they needed to most with one out in the seventh.
Foster lined a single to the shortstop that got through on a hop over the glove and Sikes followed it up with a single into left. Kacey Everett knocked a double on a 0-2 count to the wall to plate the first run. With two out, Mendoza provided another infield single to bring UTA to within one and Rude made it back-to-back singles to score the tying run as Everett came home.
Texas State tried to break the tie in the eighth as the Bobcats were able to move what was a leadoff double over to third on a ground out. However, Clakley's arm overcame the threat with a strikeout to end the frame.
The teams went in order in the ninth before the heroics of the final at-bat in the next inning.
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BATS COME ALIVE AS SOFTBALL SWEEPS GEORGIA SOUTHERN
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia State (33-21, 18-9 SBC) swept rival Georgia Southern with a pair of five-inning run-rules Saturday to close out the regular season. The Panthers scored in eight of the 10 innings during the doubleheader and held GS to just one run on five hits.
Game 1: GSU 9, GS 1 (Five innings)
Reagan Morgan drove in the first run of the game with a high-bouncing single up the middle in the second inning that allowed Kensey Caldwell to score from second.
Georgia State exploded for five runs in the third with three home runs. Ivie Drake started the long ball parade with a three-run bomb to left field. One batter later, Caldwell went opposite field for a solo shot and Remington Hasty then made it back-to-back dingers with a line-drive homer to left that put the Panthers up 6-0.
The Panthers kept piling it on with another run in the fourth thanks to an RBI single by Drake. After Georgia Southern got on the board with a run in the home half of the fourth, GSU pulled ahead 9-1 with RBI hits by Morgan and Mandy Blackwell.
Mandy Chance earned her eighth win of the year with a great outing. Chance allowed only one run on three hits and had no walks while striking out two.
Game 2: GSU 15, GS 0 (Five innings)
Georgia State picked up right where they left off in the final game of the series, scoring three runs in the first inning off two hits, a walk and an error.
The offense then produced seven runs on six hits in the second inning to blow the game open and go in front 10-0. Drake and Hasty each had two RBI in the inning and Caldwell, Blackwell and Hawkins each brought a run in as well. All seven of the runs came with two outs in the inning.
The Panthers added on with three more runs in the third and a pair in the fourth to hold a 15-0 lead going into the fifth.
Kinsley Jennings moved to 17-10 on the year with the win as she gave up no runs on just one hit in three innings. Her 17 wins is the most for a GSU pitcher since 2015. Emily Soles came on in relief and threw the final two frames, giving up just one hit and no runs.
Hasty finished the game with four RBI on two hits. Drake tallied three RBI and Litumbe and Blackwell each picked up a pair. All nine starters for GSU got a hit in the game and Brenna Skalski came off the bench and went 2-for-2 at the plate.
With the pair of conference victories, GSU improved to 18-9 in the Sun Belt this season, the most conference wins for the Panthers in four seasons of Sun Belt play and the winningest conference record since the team went 15-5 in 2011 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The Panthers locked up the No. 3 seed for the Sun Belt Tournament with the series sweep. It's the second time the Panthers have held the No. 3 seed since GSU joined the Sun Belt four seasons ago.
Follow along with Georgia State on Twitter (@GSU_Softball) for the latest news.
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Smith, Guillette Lead CCU Past Appalachian State
CONWAY - Kassidy Smith hit a two-run double in the fifth and Ashley Guillette pitched her second complete game of the series in leading Coastal Carolina to a 5-2 season-ending win over Appalachian State.
Guillette (13-9) had a hand in all three wins this weekend picking up two wins and a save in the series. She only allowed one hit and two unearned runs in today's action, striking out four in the process.
The Chants (32-22, 10-16 Sun Belt) opened the scoring in the first inning as Taty Forbes led off the game with a single and stole second base. She came around to score the game's first run on an rbi single from Kailey Mellen.
The Mountaineers (14-34, 2-22 Sun Belt) took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth after a two-out error allowed an App State runner to get on base. Cara Parker then connected on the visitors' lone hit of the game, a home run, scoring the two unearned runs.
That lead did not last long as Mellen led off the bottom of the fourth and blasted her seventh home run of the season over the right field wall to even the score at two.
CCU would go on to take the lead in the fifth after Angele Buccilli and Mellen walked, Kassidy Smith stepped to the plate and blasted a double off the wall in right center plating both Buccilli and Mellen giving CCU a two-run lead. The Chants would go on to add an unearned run later in the inning for the fifth and final run.
Frobes, and Mellen had two hits for CCU while Mellen and Smith added two rbi in the season-ending victory.
With the win the Chanticleers will move on to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament that will be played next week in Troy, Alabama. The first round opponent and brackets will be released later by the Sun Belt Conference.
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Bobcats Fall In Extras At UTA To Wrap Up Regular Season
ARLINGTON, Texas – Texas State suffered a 4-3 setback in 10 innings in the regular season finale Saturday afternoon at UTA.
UTA scored manufactured the winning run in the 10th inning on three hits – only two of which left the infield – and a fielder's choice. Krista Rude scored the winning run as she slid under the tag at the plate after Reagan Wright's sharply hit single to shortstop.
Texas State finishes the regular season at 39-13 overall and 18-8 in Sun Belt play. UTA improves to 25-14 overall and 14-13 against league competition.
UTA outhit the Bobcats 13-8 with four Mavericks totaling multi-hit days at the plate. Ariel Ortiz went 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI to lead TXST, while Christiana McDowell was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Texas State loaded the bases with no outs in the first on an infield single, hit by pitch and bunt single. However, the Bobcats could only muster a single run on Jaelyn Young's sac fly to the warning track in left that scored Kennedy Cline. The Bobcats doubled their lead to 2-0 in the third with Ortiz's RBI single through the middle that plated McDowell, who had led off the frame with a walk.
McDowell scored for the second time in the fifth, boosting the Bobcats to a 3-0 lead. The freshman opened the inning with a single to third and was sacrificed over to second before taking third on an Ortiz fly out and coming home on Taylor Webb's well-placed single on the third base line.
UTA threatened in the home half of the fifth as a single and fielder's choice put runners on first and second with one out. However, the threat would not come to pass as Rupp worked out of the potential quagmire with a strikeout and ground ball to first.
The Mavericks tied the game with a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh, tallying three unearned runs. Mallory Foster started the rally as she reached on a Bobcat error. Pinch runner Bri Burchianti scored the first run on Kacey Everett's double to right and Kayci Moore followed as Sandra Mendoza hit an RBI single to short. Everett scored the tying run a batter later as Rude knocked an infield single.
Randi Rupp, who started 29 Maverick batter with strikes, started and threw nine complete, despite not factoring into the decision. She finished with nine strikeouts and did not allow an earned run. Quincy Charleston (8-2) was charged with the loss in her 0.2 inning.
UP NEXT
Texas State travels to the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Championship hosted by Troy University. The Bobcats have earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament and will play their first game on Thursday, March 11 at 12:30 p.m. The full tournament bracket and seedings will be announced Sunday (May 7) evening after the conclusion of all Sun Belt series. -
FOLLOW THE BOBCATS
For all of the latest news and information on Bobcat softball, visit TXSTATEBOBCATS.com. Fans can also follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/TXStateSoftball along on Twitter (@TXStateSoftball) and Instagram (@TXStateSoftball).
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Softball Drops Pair to No. 15 Ragin' Cajuns on Saturday
MONROE, La. - The ULM softball team dropped a pair of Sun Belt Conference games on Saturday afternoon to the 15th-ranked Ragin' Cajuns, falling 4-0 in game one before slipping 6-5 in the second game.
TURNING POINT
-The opening game saw the Ragin' Cajuns post two runs in the third inning via an RBI single and sacrifice fly, to break what had been a scoreless tie.
-In game two, the Ragin' Cajuns jumped out to a six run lead through three innings before ULM made its comeback push. In the sixth inning, with two runs already scored, Cajun left fielder Kelli Martinez caught a Brie Wroble fly ball at the wall to end the inning and keep the advantage with the visitors.
NOTABLES
-In game one the Warhawks finished with four hits, with two coming off the bat of Jayden Mount, while Sydney McKay and Cheyanne Lyon added one hit apiece in the loss. Paige Murray was saddled with the loss after a seven inning effort in which she allowed four runs on seven hits.
-ULM finished the second game with seven total hits, including two hits each from McKay and Sami Billeaudeau. Mount, Lyon and Melanie Coyne each added one hit. Starter Sydney Wader was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs on one hit in one inning of work. Jessie Watts kept ULM in the game, holding the Ragin' Cajuns to only two hits in four innings of relief while the Warhawks posted their five runs in the comeback effort.
UP NEXT
-The Warhawks close out the regular season on Sunday against the Ragin' Cajuns at noon, with Senior Day ceremonies taking place prior to first pitch.
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Eagles Drop Saturday Doubleheader to Georgia State
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern softball team wrapped up regular season play and celebrated five seniors during today's doubleheader at Eagle Field. The Eagles (24-28, 12-15 SBC) dropped both games to Georgia State (33-21, 18-9 SBC), falling 9-1 in game one and 15-0 in game two.
The Eagles now shift their attention to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament which begins in Troy, Alabama next Wednesday. The full tournament bracket will be released on Sunday night after the conclusion of each of the team's regular season slates. For more information, check out the Sun Belt's website here.
GAME ONE - PANTHERS 9, EAGLES 1 (5 innings)
Georgia State came out with hot bats in game one, knocking three home runs in the third inning and taking an early lead. The Eagles plated a run in the fourth inning off of a sacrifice bunt from Andrea McKenzie, but the Panthers explosive offense was enough to lift them to a five inning run rule victory.
Dixie Raley (L, 13-17) started the game and was tabbed with the loss, throwing only 2.1 innings. Kierra Camp and Amanda Chambers pitched in relief and finished out the game for the Eagles. At the plate, Emily Snider, Shelby Wilson and Macy Weeks each recorded a hit.
GAME 2: PANTHERS 15, EAGLES 0 (5 innings)
The Panthers carried their hot bats into game two, tacking on ten runs in the first two innings of play. Georgia State was able to total 14 hits in the game and 15 runs, only one of which was unearned. Georgia Southern's only two hits in game two came from senior Emily Snider, who went 2-2 in her last game at Eagle Field.
Kierra Camp (L, 8-8) got the start for GS and took the loss in game two. Heather Felt, Amanda Chambers and Kaylee Ramos all pitched in relief to finish out the game.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by visiting GSEagles.com/Tickets.
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App State Falls to Coastal in Season Finale
CONWAY, S.C. – In the last ballgame of the season, Appalachian State University softball dropped game three to Coastal Carolina 5-2 on Saturday at the Coastal Carolina Softball Stadium in Conway, S.C.
In her last game in a Black and Gold uniform, Cara Parker turned in the best offensive performance of the day reaching base after every at-bat with two walks and cranked out App State's only hit of the ballgame.
In the circle, senior Vanessa Ciocatto registered her final start as a Mountaineer and rang up three batters in 3.0 innings, and Katie Williford came in relief for 3.0 innings and fanned two Chanticleers.
Game Three: Coastal Carolina 5, App State 2
The Chanticleers (32-22, 10-16 SBC) wasted no time and scored one run in the first on a RBI single for the early lead.
After three scoreless innings, the Apps snatched the 2-1 lead thanks to a two-run jack by Parker, her 38th of her career. Katie Mathewson reached first on a throwing error by the third baseman, and Parker cleared the bases with a rocket over the left field fence.
Despite the momentum favoring App State, the Chanticleers tied the score up at two apiece with a leadoff home run in the fourth and tacked on three more in the fifth to end the inning with a 5-2 lead.
Only down by three, the Apps were determined to rally back into the game, but Coastal's pitcher and defensive front shut them out for the last two innings to take the series finale 5-2.
Season Highlights
Appalachian State concluded 2017 with a 14-34 overall record and went 2-22 in conference play … their doubleheader sweep against UTA was App State's first Sun Belt Conference Series win in program history … in game one against the Mavericks, the Apps silenced UTA 2-0, which marked Appalachian's first shutout victory recorded in the Sun Belt … Natalie Orcutt led the offensive with the highest batting average of .330, and freshman Kenzie Longanecker held the lowest ERA of 2.77 … Cara Parker banged out the most home runs of the season (8) and the most RBI (17) … on Feb. 16, the Mountaineers turned in their best performance scoring 11 runs on 18 hits and collected 23 total bases against North Carolina A&T.