NCAA DIVISION I SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday, May 19
Game 1 - Houston 1, Louisiana 0
BATON ROUGE, La. – Houston used a fourth-inning home run to claim a 1-0 pitcher's duel from 21st-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional opener.
 
Summer Ellyson and Houston's Savannah Heebner combined to yield just seven hits in the contest. Ellyson struck out nine batters in her first career NCAA postseason start.
 
Arielle James provided the Cougars with the eventual game-winning run by leading off the fourth inning with a solo home run.
 
The game featured a four-plus hour weather delay that began momentarily after the start of the second inning, resulting in the conclusion coming in the nine o'clock hour.
 
The contest marked the start of Louisiana's 20th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 28th overall in the past 29 seasons.

Cal State Fullerton 2, Texas State 1
LOS ANGELES – The second-seeded Texas State softball team (42-15, 18-5 SBC) dropped a tough game against the third-seeded Cal State Fullerton (34-23, 18-3 Big West) in the opening game of the 2018 NCAA Los Angeles Regional by a score of 2-1. The Bobcats will take on Sacramento State at 4:30 p.m. PT on Saturday afternoon at Easton Stadium.
 
Texas State found home plate first, scoring one run in the bottom of the second inning. Bailee Carter reached first base after being nicked on the elbow by an inside pitch. Mari Cranek laid down a picture-perfect bunt to advance Carter to second. Haleigh Davis, the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, looped an RBI single to left field, scoring Carter from second with ease.
 
The Titans answered in the top of the fifth inning. Julia Valenzuela roped a double off the wall in right center field to kick off the inning. She advanced to third on a groundout to first base and came around to score on a single lifted into shallow left field from Brooke Clemetson. An infield single gave Fullerton runners on first and second with two outs in the inning. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Ari Williams popped up to the catcher, but Davis was unable to secure the ball after a colliding with Randi Rupp on a miscommunication between the two fielders. As the ball escaped the glove of Davis, the Titans scored the go-ahead run.
 
Texas State put runners on base in each of the last three innings. Ariel Ortiz drew a five-pitch walk with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Hailey MacKay drilled an infield single off of the glove of the shortstop in the Bobcats' next at bat. Ortiz attempted to advance to third on the play but was cut down to end the inning.
 
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Mari Cranek singled through the right side with two away in the frame. Davis drew a four-pitch walk to give Texas State a pair of runners in the inning. A lineout ending the Bobcat threat. Finally, in the home half of the seventh inning, ArieAnn Bell drew a pinch-hit walk but was stranded at first.
 
In the circle, Randi Rupp went the distance for the Bobcats. She pitched seven innings of softball and allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits and no walks. The Texas State all-time leader in strikeouts, sat down seven Fullerton batters. The loss moves her season record to 27-11 on the season.

Saturday, May 19
Game 2 - Louisiana 15, Fordham (5 inn,)
BATON ROUGE, La. – 21st-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball bounced back from a tough opening loss in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional by producing double digits in runs and hits in a 15-3 (5 inn.) run-rule win over Fordham.

Louisiana (39-15) fought off elimination in the regional and advanced to face Houston (37-21) at 5 p.m. for a spot in the championship round against top-seeded and 11th-ranked Louisiana State on Sunday.

Game 3 - Louisiana 7, Houston 2
BATON ROUGE, La. – 21st-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball clinched its spot in Championship Sunday of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional with a 7-2 win over Houston Saturday evening at Tiger Park.

Lexie Comeaux, who homered twice in the contest, used her first home run to trigger a three-run rally in the second inning which vaulted Louisiana (40-15) lead for good.

Summer Ellyson, who struck out nine Houston batters for the second straight day, made the lead stand as she limited the Cougars to four hits. A pair of run-saving catches from redshirt freshman Aeriyl Mass strengthened Ellyson’s efforts.

The win capped off a strong day at the plate for Louisiana which opened Saturday’s play with a 15-3 (5 inn.) win over Fordham to set up the rematch with Houston. The Ragin’ Cajuns hit .387 for the day and generated double-digit hits both contests in totaling 24 (13 vs. Fordham, 11 vs. Houston).

Louisiana advances to Championship Sunday of an NCAA Regional for the 11th straight season. The Ragin’ Cajuns will meet top-seeded and 11th-ranked Louisiana State (43-14) at 1 p.m. and need two wins to move on the NCAA Super Regional round.

The 2018 season came to a close for the No. 22 Texas State softball team (43-16, 18-5 SBC) on Saturday night at Easton Stadium. In game one of elimination day, the Bobcats took down the fourth-seeded Sacramento State Hornets (31-20, 14-7 Big Sky) by a score of 8-4. In the final game of the evening, the UCLA Bruins (52-5, 20-4 Pac-12) eliminated Texas State in a 14-1 victory.
 
Game 2 - Texas State 8, Sacramento State 4
LOS ANGELES - After the Bobcat offense struggled to gain traction in the first game of the tournament, Hailey MacKay flipped the script for Texas State against the Hornets. The sophomore drove a towering home run over the scoreboard in left field to give TXST an early 1-0 lead. Mari Cranek tacked on a second first inning run with an RBI single to center field to score Tara Oltmann.
 
Texas State doubled its score in the top of the third inning. Oltmann reach via a walk for the second time in the contest and advanced to second on a bunt single from Cranek. Both runners came around to score on an RBI single off the bat of Haleigh Davis.
 
Sacramento State scored three unearned runs over the first five innings of the game, capitalizing on three Texas State errors. With the score set at 4-3 heading into the seventh inning, Texas State exploded for four runs to put the game out of reach. ArieAnn Bell singled to right field to open the frame before being lifted for a pinch runner, Brianna Sannem. Ariel Ortiz laid down a sacrifice bunt but reached safely when the Hornet pitcher tried unsuccessfully to get Sannem, the lead runner, at second base. MacKay drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases with no outs. Bailee Carter slapped a two-run single back up the middle, scoring Sannem and Ortiz. Two batters later, Davis reached base safely on a fielding error. Both MacKay and Davis were able to score on the play to give the Bobcats an 8-3 lead.
 
The Hornets inched closer to the Bobcats with a solo home run, but were unable to move the score closer than 8-4. Randi Rupp went the distance for Texas State. The senior earned the victory after yielding six hits, four runs (one earned) and three walks. She struck out six Sacramento State batters in the win.
 
Game 3 - UCLA 14, Texas State 1 (5 inn.)
LOS ANGELES - The Bruins grabbed the early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. UCLA All-American candidate Rachel Garcia lifted a sacrifice fly to center field. The play scored two runners after a series of misplayed defensive situations from the Bobcat defense.
 
Texas State cut the deficit in half in the top half of the second inning. Bailee Carter drew a leadoff walk and quickly advanced to second base on a groundout from Mari Cranek. Davis delivered an RBI, her third of the day, on a single to center, scoring Carter from second.
 
Unfortunately, the wheels fell off for the Bobcats in the bottom of the third and fourth innings. The Bruins scored 12 runs on 12 hits and a couple of Texas State errors. The Bruins held onto the sizable lead in the top of the fifth, allowing the No. 3 nationally seeded UCLA team to advance to the Regional Championship title game with a five-inning run rule win.

Sunday, May 20
Game 4 - Louisiana 5, LSU 4 (10 inn.)

BATON ROUGE, La. – The 21st-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team forced the winner-take-all contest in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional with a 5-4 (10 inn.) win over 11th-ranked Louisiana State at Tiger Park.

The Ragin’ Cajuns and Tigers returned to the field at 4:13 p.m. for the opportunity to advance to meet Florida State in the NCAA Tallahassee Super Regional. Fans can hear the game on 1420-AM or view the action live on ESPN3.

Game 5 - LSU 3, Louisiana 1
BATON ROUGE – The 21st-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team's historic 2018 season came to a heartbreaking end on Sunday as 11th-ranked LSU scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie and claim a 3-1 win in the championship game of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional on Sunday at Tiger Park.
 
Summer Ellyson (23-10) pitched a complete-game in the nightcap for Louisiana, which finished its first season under head coach Gerry Glasco with a 41-16 record. LSU improved to 44-15 overall and will face Florida State in the NCAA Super Regionals beginning next weekend.
 
The Tigers broke open a scoreless contest in the fifth inning after pinch-hitter Sydney Springfield singled up the middle to score Amber Serrett, who led off the inning with a triple to left.
 
Louisiana, which rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the opening game to claim a 5-4 victory, answered back in the top of the sixth inning after Aeriyl Mass and Kelli Martinez led off the frame with a pair of singles. After a one-out double steal that put both runners in scoring position, Mass would score on Kara Gremillion's grounder to third, sliding in under the tag of LSU catcher Michalea Schlattman and tying the game at 1-1.
 
In the bottom half of the inning, Shemiah Sanchez singled through the left side with one out and would be called safe on a controversial play at the plate on Schlattman's RBI double into the right-field gap.
 
Schlattlman added an insurance run for the Tigers when she scored on a fielder's choice and LSU pitcher Allie Walljasper retired the Ragin' Cajuns in order in the seventh to earn the win.
 
Mass, Martinez and Brittany Rodriguez each had hits for Louisiana while Ellyson scattered seven hits and fanned one for the Ragin' Cajuns.