The 2024 softball season continues as the Ragin’ Cajuns started their week off with a game against Nicholls State University on Wednesday, April 17. The Cajuns pulled away from a scoreless tie in the late frames to record a 9–0 (6 inn.) win over Nicholls.
After Lexie Delbrey held the Colonels in check with 4.1 innings of two-hit softball to match the scoreless frames tossed by Nicholls’ Molly Yoo, the offense found the breakthrough the Cajuns (30–15) had been looking for in the bottom of the fifth
Cecilia Vasquez’s double set the stage for a foul out sacrifice fly from pitcher hitter Denali Loecker that scored Victoria Valdez (hit by pitch), and the stalemate with the Colonels (23–20) was no more.
Maddie Hayden’s RBI triple made it a multi-run fifth for Louisiana and a 2–0 lead, then a leadoff double from Alexa Langeliers in the bottom of the sixth which ignited the fast and furious finish.
Langeliers began the seven-run, seven-hit sixth inning that was capped off by a two-run single from Hayden and walk-off-three-run home run from Credeur which provided the five-run surge over the final two at bats to enforce the run rule.
Delbry was spot on in setting the pace for Louisiana as she retired the Colonels in order the first time through lineup. She induced back-to-back fly outs, the first to shallow left field, after Nicholls placed a runner on third with one out in the fourth inning.
Sam Landry backed up Delbry’s efforts with 1.2 scoreless innings of relief highlighted by coaxing a double play ball in the fifth inning which kept the Colonels from capitalizing on a one-out double.
Hayden and Credeur combined for six RBI, the bulk of the production occurring in the game-ending sequence.
To finish off the game, like the previous matchup in Thibodaux back on Feb. 27 when Louisiana pushed across eight runs with two outs, the Ragin’ Cajuns did more of the same this game.
Louisiana completed a sweep of the midweek home-and-home with Nicholls and extended their series win streak to 12 games.
The Cajuns continued the tournament with a home game on Friday, April 19 against Southern Miss. The offense struck in the first trip to the plate and Sam Landry nailed down the victory for the 19th-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns.
Back-to-back doubles from Mihyia Davis and Maddie Hayden opened the lead and two batters later an RBI single from Alexa Langeliers provided the difference-making run as the Cajuns took hold of a 2–0 lead.
Sam Landry went on to complete a three-hitter for the Golden Eagles that included a season-high nine strikeouts. The lone blemish was a solo home run from USM’s Hannah Borden in the fifth inning.
Landry successfully slowed down the Golden Eagles who placed five runners on base the first four innings before retiring the final eight batters–striking out the side in the seventh-to land her team- leading ninth complete game of the season.
Jana Jones recovered after the first inning and kept the Cajuns off-balance the rest of the way. She was able to keep Louisiana from building multiple-hit innings by keeping the Golden Eagles within striking distance.
Hayden and Langeliers delivered two-hit efforts for Louisiana, and both stretched out season-high hitting streaks of nine games and six games.
Louisiana improved to 4–3 in one-run games and won a close game in SBC play for the first time in the conference opener. The Ragin’ Cajuns remained perfect (now at 4–0) in SBC play against Southern Miss.
In the last game of the tournament, the Cajuns had a rematch against Southern Miss on Saturday, April 20 and came home with a win of 14–3 (5 inn.).