LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team found its rhythm and delivered a dominant weekend at Lamson Park, sweeping South Alabama in a three-game Sun Belt series marked by stellar pitching, late-game heroics, and a resurgent offense. The Cajuns, now 23-22 overall and 9-9 in SBC play, used clutch performances to outscore the Jaguars 13-1 over the weekend.

Game One (Thursday): Louisiana 2, South Alabama 1 (8 innings)

In a tight series opener, Louisiana walked it off in extra innings after trailing most of the game. South Alabama grabbed a 1-0 lead in the sixth, but the Cajuns answered in the seventh with an RBI single from Kayla Falterman to force extras.

With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the eighth, Dayzja Williams hit a sharp grounder that brought home the winning run. Mallory Wheeler was brilliant in relief, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings and improving to 9-8 on the season.

Louisiana outhit South Alabama 10-5, with Maddie Hayden and Mia Liscano each collecting two hits in the comeback effort​.

Game Two (Friday): Louisiana 8, South Alabama 0 (6 innings)

The Cajuns exploded in game two, scoring early and often en route to an 8-0 run-rule win in six innings. Maddie Hayden set the tone at the top of the order, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored and a stolen base. Dayzja Williams and Emily Smith each drove in runs during a three-run first inning that gave Louisiana a comfortable cushion.

Sam Ryan delivered her best outing of the season in the circle, tossing a four-hit shutout with three strikeouts and no walks. South Alabama committed four errors, and Louisiana took full advantage, scoring five unearned runs​.

Game Three (Saturday): Louisiana 3, South Alabama 0

Louisiana completed the sweep on Saturday behind a two-headed pitching effort from Mallory Wheeler and Tyra Clary, who combined to allow just two hits while striking out six. The Cajuns broke through in the fifth inning, scoring all three runs on hits from Savannah White and Laney Credeur, with Kayla Falterman and Erin Ardoin scoring.

Clary earned the win in relief, stranding three inherited runners in the fifth and closing out the game with 2.1 innings of scoreless work​.

Series Takeaways:

• Pitching Depth Shines: Louisiana’s trio of Ryan, Wheeler, and Clary allowed just one run over 21 innings and only 11 total hits.
• Timely Hitting: Despite not overwhelming offensively, the Cajuns delivered in clutch moments—particularly in Thursday’s and Saturday’s wins.
• Defensive Lockdown: Louisiana played error-free softball in two of the three games and limited South Alabama to just one run across the series.

With their season record now above .500, the Cajuns seem to be finding their stride at just the right time. As the Sun Belt schedule heats up, this series sweep may prove to be a turning point for Louisiana’s postseason push.

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