LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball team split the second round of the Louisiana/LSU Crossover event held on Sunday, February 26 at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park, getting a no-hitter and two-run home run from Karly Heath for a 2-0 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and falling 4-1 as No. 14 LSU rallied in the finale.
The win over A&M-Corpus Christi (7-6) to start the afternoon extended the Ragin’ Cajuns winning streak to four games. Louisiana (9-6) saw its bid for a perfect week spoiled by the uprising from LSU (15-1) in the back half of the game.
The win over A&M-Corpus Christi was a complete masterpiece performance from Heath who single-handedly handled the Islanders both in the circle and at the plate.
Heath ripped a two-run home run to right center in the first inning for the only runs she would need. Her mastery in the circle included striking out six consecutive batters over the second and third innings and not allowing a baserunner until a walk in the fifth inning.
The seven-inning stint in the circle marked Heath’s longest as a Ragin’ Cajun and longest overall since March 2020 with South Carolina. She picked up her first career no-hitter and recorded a career-best 11 strikeouts passing her previous best of eight strikeouts vs. Charlotte on Feb. 29, 2020.
As the afternoon moved along a pitcher’s duel developed between Louisiana’s Sam Landry and LSU’s Ali Kilponen. Neither team had a baserunner until the bottom of the third when Sophie Piskos collected an infield single.
After Piskos singled, Kylei Griffin doubled to set up a sacrifice fly from Mihyia Davis and a 1-0 lead. The Tigers would manage to turn a double play during the sac fly to hold the Ragin’ Cajuns at a single run.
The next half inning Taylor Pleasants snuck a two-run home run over the center field wall as the ball slipped out of Davis’ grip giving LSU a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. In the bottom half the Tigers came up with another defensive top, catching Maddie Hayden attempting to steal home to preserve the lead.
A two-out, two-run single from Maci Bergeron in the sixth inning provided the Tigers and Kilponen with insurance runs and a 4-1 edge.
Louisiana threatened in the bottom of the seventh as Heath singled and Alexa Langeliers walked with one out and Victoria Valdez loaded the bases with a two-out single. However, Kilponen coaxed a line drive out from Piskos to end the threat.
It was a hard-luck loss for Landry (3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 K) who no-hit the 14th-ranked Tigers for the first three innings before Pleasants’ go-ahead home run.
Heath (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R) and Kandra Lamb (2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 K) kept it a one-run contest until Bergeron’s two-run single off of Chloe Riassetto with two outs in the sixth inning.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana wraps up its brief two-day homestand at Lamson Park on Monday, February 27 with a 5:30 p.m. contest against Ole Miss.
Monday’s game marks the Rebels first visit to Lamson Park since a season-opening, three-game series back in 2009. It’s also the Ragin’ Cajuns ninth (9th) game vs. a Power 5 opponent in a 11-day span dating back to the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational on February 16.
The matchup with the Rebels is set to air live on ESPN+ with Dan McDonald and Yvette Girouard providing commentary. Fans can listen to a radio broadcast, with Cody Junot and Bobby Neveaux on the call, on 103.3 FM and 1420 AM in the Acadiana region and worldwide through the Ragin’ Cajuns Digital Network (links available on softball schedule page at RaginCajuns.com).
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