University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Friday, May 13
Mobile, Ala.
11 a.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
42-7
9
vs
7
Texas State
38-19
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
UL Lafayette
1
0
4
3
1
0
0
9
11
2
Texas State
2
0
4
0
1
0
0
7
5
1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Stewart, Alex (27-4)
L: Rupp, Randi (28-11)
S: Smith, Macey (2)
Batting:
2B: Hayden, Haley 1 ; Sanders, DJ 2
3B: Gremillion, Kara 1
HR: Landry, Shellie 1 ; Vincent, Kelsey 1
RBI: Landry, Shellie 1 ; Elkins, Lexie 1 ; Vincent, Kelsey 3 ; Sanders, DJ 1 ; Corbello, Sara 1
SF: Elkins, Lexie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hayden, Haley 2 ; Landry, Shellie 2 ; Elkins, Lexie 1 ; Vincent, Kelsey 1 ; Craighton, Aleah 1 ; Sanders, DJ 1 ; Gremillion, Kara 1
SB: Sanders, DJ 1 ; Smith, Kendall 1
HBP: Elkins, Lexie 1 ; Corbello, Sara 1 ; Gremillion, Kara 1
Batting:
2B: Ortiz, Ariel 1
RBI: Ortiz, Ariel 1 ; Young, Jaelyn 1 ; Cruz, Alex 1
SH: Naivar, Kimberlin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Baker, Kelli 1 ; Naivar, Kimberlin 1 ; Ortiz, Ariel 2 ; Liscano, Corrina 1 ; Young, Jaelyn 1 ; Wiley, Kendall 1
HBP: Liscano, Corrina 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
3B
/ Softball2B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballSS
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball1B
/ Softball
Cajuns Outlast Bobcats, Advance to Championship Game
5/13/2016 3:47:00 PM | Softball
MOBILE, Ala. – In a game that saw four lead changes, Kelsey Vincent returned the lead to Louisiana in the fourth inning with a three-run home run and the ninth-ranked Ragin' Cajuns softball team went on to post a 9-7 win over Texas State in the winner's bracket final of the 2016 Sun Belt Conference Softball Tournament on Friday at Jaguar Field.
Vincent's home run pulled the Ragin' Cajuns (42-7) out of a 6-5 deficit and into a lead they would not relinquish.
Macey Smith pitched the final two innings and held the Bobcats (38-19) to one hit to protect the lead.
The win advanced Louisiana into Saturday's 1 p.m. championship game against the survivor of Friday's elimination games.
"As a team we have been talking about a situation like today the whole season," Ragin' Cajuns Softball head coach Michael Lotief said. "When you get in an environment that is festive, every pitch is emotional, there is adversity, mistakes are made and you get out of your comfort level, you have to be able to slow it all down continue to compete and find a way to believe in each other.
"That's what happened today…our kids found a way," Lotief continued. "You don't have to play perfect and it doesn't have to look pretty. I'm proud of my kids and I'm proud of the way they competed."
The middle of the Ragin' Cajuns batting order, led by a game-high three RBI from Vincent, fueled the offense's 11-hit attack. Vincent, Aleah Craighton and DJ Sanders each posted two hits and finished a combined 6-for-12 at the plate.
Alex Stewart battled through an uncharacteristic nine walks, continued to compete and prevented the Bobcats from obtaining no more than a one-run lead. She limited Texas State to four hits and struck out five in garnering her 27th win of the season.
The Ragin' Cajuns grabbed the lead in their first at bat. Haley Hayden doubled to lead off, moved to third on a grounder from Shellie Landry and scored on a sacrifice fly by Lexie Elkins.
Texas State plated two runs off an RBI double from Ariel Ortiz and a fielding error in the bottom of the first inning, presenting the first deficit the Ragin' Cajuns would have to overcome.
Landry led off the third inning with a solo home run, the first of five hits in the frame that led to four runs and a 5-2 lead for Louisiana.
Texas State responded with four runs in the bottom half of the third benefitting from walks, illegal pitches and a Cajuns error to reclaim the lead at 6-5.
The Cajuns overcame a deficit for the second time when Vincent delivered the answer in their very next at bat.
Hayden walked to start the fourth inning and Landry reached base when the Bobcats attempted to force out Hayden at second base. Two batters later, Vincent lifted a three-run home run down the left field line pulling the Cajuns ahead 8-6.
The teams swapped single runs in the fifth inning. Louisiana received a leadoff triple from Kara Gremillion who crossed home plate on a misplay of a grounder from Kelli Martinez. Texas State answered with a two-out RBI single from pinch hitter Alex Cruz.
Smith relieved Stewart in the sixth inning and took control of the game in the circle. She retired six of the eight batters she faced to hold the Bobcats in their tracks.
DIAMOND NOTES: The Ragin' Cajuns and Bobcats met in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the first time…Louisiana extended its series win streak to six games and improved to 26-3 all-time vs. Texas State…The Ragin' Cajuns all-time Sun Belt Tournament record now stands at 52-8…Saturday's championship game appearance marks the ninth straight for Louisiana and 15th in the 17-year history of the event…Macey Smith picked up her second save in the past week; first one came in Game 1 vs. ULM last Saturday…Haley Hayden posted a hit for the 39th time in 49 games and extended her current hitting streak to five games…Shellie Landry posted her team-leading 17th multiple-RBI game and reached three RBI for the 10th time…DJ Sanders doubled twice to increase her season extra base hits total to 25 (8 doubles, 1 triple, 16 home runs)…The two doubles by Sanders tied her career high first accomplished on Feb. 13, 2015 vs. Mississippi Valley…Kara Gremillion's triple to lead off the fifth inning was the first of her collegiate career…Dating back to last weekend's ULM series, Gremillion is batting .500 (6-of-12) with a double and triple…Aleah Craighton finished 2-for-4, collecting her second two-hit game of the SBC Tournament…Five different Cajuns posted at least one RBI and in the Sun Belt Tournament six different Cajuns have multiple-RBI…The nine walks issued by Alex Stewart were the most she's surrendered in her career (previous high was seven, last at Oregon on April 25, 2015)…Kara Gremillion played error-free for the 15th straight game, having last committed an error on April 9 at Georgia State and only three errors all season long…It's Gremillion's second-longest error-free streak of the season, having gone 21 games error-free earlier in the season from Feb. 26-April 3…The seven runs allowed to Texas State marked only the fourth time all season the opposition surpassed five runs on the Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff.
Vincent's home run pulled the Ragin' Cajuns (42-7) out of a 6-5 deficit and into a lead they would not relinquish.
Macey Smith pitched the final two innings and held the Bobcats (38-19) to one hit to protect the lead.
The win advanced Louisiana into Saturday's 1 p.m. championship game against the survivor of Friday's elimination games.
"As a team we have been talking about a situation like today the whole season," Ragin' Cajuns Softball head coach Michael Lotief said. "When you get in an environment that is festive, every pitch is emotional, there is adversity, mistakes are made and you get out of your comfort level, you have to be able to slow it all down continue to compete and find a way to believe in each other.
"That's what happened today…our kids found a way," Lotief continued. "You don't have to play perfect and it doesn't have to look pretty. I'm proud of my kids and I'm proud of the way they competed."
The middle of the Ragin' Cajuns batting order, led by a game-high three RBI from Vincent, fueled the offense's 11-hit attack. Vincent, Aleah Craighton and DJ Sanders each posted two hits and finished a combined 6-for-12 at the plate.
Alex Stewart battled through an uncharacteristic nine walks, continued to compete and prevented the Bobcats from obtaining no more than a one-run lead. She limited Texas State to four hits and struck out five in garnering her 27th win of the season.
The Ragin' Cajuns grabbed the lead in their first at bat. Haley Hayden doubled to lead off, moved to third on a grounder from Shellie Landry and scored on a sacrifice fly by Lexie Elkins.
Texas State plated two runs off an RBI double from Ariel Ortiz and a fielding error in the bottom of the first inning, presenting the first deficit the Ragin' Cajuns would have to overcome.
Landry led off the third inning with a solo home run, the first of five hits in the frame that led to four runs and a 5-2 lead for Louisiana.
Texas State responded with four runs in the bottom half of the third benefitting from walks, illegal pitches and a Cajuns error to reclaim the lead at 6-5.
The Cajuns overcame a deficit for the second time when Vincent delivered the answer in their very next at bat.
Hayden walked to start the fourth inning and Landry reached base when the Bobcats attempted to force out Hayden at second base. Two batters later, Vincent lifted a three-run home run down the left field line pulling the Cajuns ahead 8-6.
The teams swapped single runs in the fifth inning. Louisiana received a leadoff triple from Kara Gremillion who crossed home plate on a misplay of a grounder from Kelli Martinez. Texas State answered with a two-out RBI single from pinch hitter Alex Cruz.
Smith relieved Stewart in the sixth inning and took control of the game in the circle. She retired six of the eight batters she faced to hold the Bobcats in their tracks.
DIAMOND NOTES: The Ragin' Cajuns and Bobcats met in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the first time…Louisiana extended its series win streak to six games and improved to 26-3 all-time vs. Texas State…The Ragin' Cajuns all-time Sun Belt Tournament record now stands at 52-8…Saturday's championship game appearance marks the ninth straight for Louisiana and 15th in the 17-year history of the event…Macey Smith picked up her second save in the past week; first one came in Game 1 vs. ULM last Saturday…Haley Hayden posted a hit for the 39th time in 49 games and extended her current hitting streak to five games…Shellie Landry posted her team-leading 17th multiple-RBI game and reached three RBI for the 10th time…DJ Sanders doubled twice to increase her season extra base hits total to 25 (8 doubles, 1 triple, 16 home runs)…The two doubles by Sanders tied her career high first accomplished on Feb. 13, 2015 vs. Mississippi Valley…Kara Gremillion's triple to lead off the fifth inning was the first of her collegiate career…Dating back to last weekend's ULM series, Gremillion is batting .500 (6-of-12) with a double and triple…Aleah Craighton finished 2-for-4, collecting her second two-hit game of the SBC Tournament…Five different Cajuns posted at least one RBI and in the Sun Belt Tournament six different Cajuns have multiple-RBI…The nine walks issued by Alex Stewart were the most she's surrendered in her career (previous high was seven, last at Oregon on April 25, 2015)…Kara Gremillion played error-free for the 15th straight game, having last committed an error on April 9 at Georgia State and only three errors all season long…It's Gremillion's second-longest error-free streak of the season, having gone 21 games error-free earlier in the season from Feb. 26-April 3…The seven runs allowed to Texas State marked only the fourth time all season the opposition surpassed five runs on the Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff.
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