LAFAYETTE – The bats came alive and the defense held firm as Louisiana softball powered past James Madison, 9-2, on a sun-soaked Saturday afternoon at Lamson Park. With a crowd of 1,700 strong behind them, the Cajuns looked every bit the team Lafayette fans have been waiting for, notching 12 hits and playing flawless defense en route to a convincing Sun Belt win.

Led by the ever-reliable Mallory Wheeler in the circle and a full-team offensive effort, Louisiana (20-22, 6-9 SBC) seized momentum early and never looked back. Wheeler went six innings deep, allowing just five hits and two runs while striking out two to earn her eighth win of the season. Tyra Clary closed the door in the seventh with a clean frame.

The scoring started right out the gate. After a couple of stolen bases and a costly JMU error, Kayla Falterman and Sam Roe crossed the plate in the first, setting the tone. Louisiana added another run in the second, again taking advantage of defensive miscues by the Dukes.

James Madison (18-21, 5-10 SBC) managed to tie things up briefly in the third, thanks to a double by Reed Butler and a sac fly from Jasmine Hall. But the Cajuns responded in a big way in the fifth inning, erupting for four runs, all unearned, as Gabbie Stutes delivered a clutch two-run single, and Maddie Hayden and Laney Credeur followed with RBI plays of their own.

The sixth inning saw Louisiana tack on two more runs thanks to another RBI single from Stutes—who finished the game 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs—and a perfect bunt single from Mia Liscano.

Offensively, six Cajuns registered hits, with Vasquez, Falterman, Ardoin, and Stutes each notching multi-hit performances. The Cajuns swiped four bases and were relentless on the base paths, a trademark of their style that paid dividends against a shaky Dukes defense that committed four errors.

For JMU, Payton List took the loss after surrendering three runs (all unearned) in two innings. Kirsten Fleet worked the final four innings, giving up nine hits and six more runs—only two of them earned.

Louisiana now looks to keep the momentum rolling as they continue Sun Belt play, aiming to climb back toward the top of the standings with just a few weeks left in the regular season.