After a series win over Texas State at home, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball team stayed home to host the McNeese Cowgirls in a midweek matchup. In their most recent series, McNeese was swept on the road by Nicholls.
Both teams met inside Lamson Park on Tuesday evening, and the bats were on fire early, with four home runs hit. The majority were from Cajun batters, which helped them secure the 5-2 win. Louisiana improved to 20-23, and McNeese dropped to 20-13.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Nyjah Fontenot led the game off with a triple into left-center field but was caught at home on a fielder’s choice two plays later. Rylee Cloud, who was the one who reached first base, stole second and was stranded there after Bethaney Noble struck out Alexis Dibbley and forced Maddie Taylor to hit into an infield grounder to keep the game scoreless.
It didn’t take long for Louisiana to take the lead as the Cajuns hit a pair of home runs at the bottom of the first. Haley Hart led off with a solo shot over the left field wall, then Dayzja Williams singled and scored on Brooke Otto’s moon shot past center field.
McNeese made several defensive adjustments: moving Rylee Cloud to right field, Maddie Taylor to designated player, Meiko Dominguez replacing Rylee Eyster at catcher, and Onna Pruitt was taken out for Brookelyn Taylor on the mound. Lily Knox was hit by a pitch and advanced to second before Emily Smith was retired to end the inning. The Cajuns were ahead 3-0.
The Cowgirls got on the scoreboard when Noble hit Kassidy Chance with a pitch on the first pitch of the second inning. Corine Poncho then hit a two-run shot to cut the Cajun lead down to one. With two outs, Domiguez layed down a bunt to get a hit but was caught trying to steal second. The play would stand after McNeese’s James Landreneau called for a challenge.
Louisiana matched McNeese’s run count at the bottom of the frame. Mia Liscano walked, and Hart brought them both home with a two-run blast that bounced off the tip of Dibbley’s glove and went over the center field wall. Williams and Otto walked before Knox popped out to end the inning. The Vemrilion and White were up 5-2 through two.
The defenses for both teams stepped up in the next handful of innings. Hart recorded the lone hit between the third and fourth and Noble had strikeouts to end each of those innings. In the fifth, McNeese threatened to score with bases loaded. Maddie Weeks and Brylie Fontenot singled before Nijah Fontenot was intentionally walked. Dayzja Williams made a great play in center field, making the catch on a pop fly from Dibbley and then firing the ball to home plate to get Weeks out, securing the double play and keeping the game at a three-run difference.
Sage Hoover replaced Noble in the sixth as Louisiana’s ace struck out Poncho and forced Weeks to pop up to get the Cajuns out of the jam. Hoover left no room for a potential McNeese comeback as the Cowgirls went three-up-three-down at the top of the seventh. That secured the Cajuns’ 5-2 win, improving them to 20-13 on the season. McNeese dropped to 20-13 with the loss.
BIG NUMBER: 4
The balls were being sent into orbit early in Tuesday’s contest. Louisiana’s batters were responsible for three of them as Haley Hart had two and Brooke Otto hit another in the second inning. Corine Poncho had the lone home run for McNeese.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Haley Hart
Hart had it in her tonight as she went 3/3 from the plate on Tuesday, including hitting two home runs, a solo to lead off the bottom of the first, and then a two-run blast in the second. On the night, Hart had three RBI and had a free pass as the Cajuns took down the Pokes 5-2.
UP NEXT: The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns will travel to Monroe this weekend to take on the ULM Warhawks. Game one’s first pitch is for 6:00 PM on Friday, March 27th. For McNeese, they’ll stay in the comforts of Joe Miller Field and host Incarnate Word. The first pitch for that series will also be on Friday at 6:00.