It was a battle of the arms at Lamson Park on Friday night, but the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns came up just short in a 1-0 loss to James Madison, falling victim to a seventh-inning rally that spoiled an otherwise stellar night on the mound.
With the game knotted in a scoreless tie through six frames, James Madison’s Raegan Wall drew a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh and later came around to score on an RBI single by catcher Lily Romero — the only run of the game. That proved enough for Dukes starter Payton List, who went the distance to notch the complete-game shutout.
List (7-5) was brilliant in the circle, scattering four hits and walking five while striking out two on 123 pitches. She got just enough run support to secure the win and hand Louisiana (19-21, 5-8 SBC) a tough-luck loss.
For the Cajuns, Mallory Wheeler (7-8) was equally impressive despite the loss. She pitched a complete game, giving up just six hits, one run, and three walks while fanning six. Her performance kept Louisiana within striking distance all evening, but the offense couldn’t find the breakthrough.
Louisiana’s best scoring opportunity came in the first inning when Kayla Falterman advanced to third, but was caught stealing home. The Cajuns left seven runners on base, including key chances in the second, third, and fourth innings.
Mia Norwood led the Cajuns at the plate with two hits, while Falterman and Sam Roe added one each. Louisiana also executed well defensively, turning a double play and committing no errors.
Romero was the offensive hero for James Madison (17-20, 4-9 SBC), going 2-for-3 with the game’s lone RBI. The Dukes stranded seven runners but made their final opportunity count.
Game Notes:
The Cajuns will look to bounce back in the series on Saturday, with first pitch set for 4pm CST.
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