CLEARWATER, Fla. – No. 5 Oklahoma State benefitted from a pair of grand slams to capture a 12-2 (5 inn.) win over the No. 22-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball team on Saturday, February 18 in the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Florida.
The first grand slam, delivered by Kiley Naomi, lifted OSU (7-1) into the lead in the third inning, erasing a brief deficit after Louisiana (5-2) laid claim to a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the second on Jourdyn Campbell’s leadoff home run and Cecilia Vasquez’s two-out RBI single.
Pitcher Kelly Maxwell protected the Cowgirls’ lead as she proceeded to strike out the side in the third and fourth inning and yielded only one Cajuns baserunner the final three innings on a walk.
Katie Lott’s fourth inning solo home run gave OSU an extra insurance run, upping the lead to 5-2 and ending Meghan Schorman’s outing in the circle. Kandra Lamb and Karly Heath kept the Cowgirls off the board until a two-run double and a grand slam from Morgyn Wynne in the fifth inning stretched the margin to 11-2.
Campbell’s solo home run and Vasquez’s RBI single marked the first runs of the 2023 season allowed by Maxwell as Louisiana snapped the OSU lefty’s streak of 20 consecutive scoreless innings pitched.
It was the first home run of the season for Campbell (1-for-2, HR, RBI) as she became the eighth (8th) different Ragin’ Cajun to register a home run this season.
Schorman (3.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 K) was off to a solid start in the circle prior to Naomi’s grand slam. She worked around a runner in scoring position in the first inning and carried a string of six consecutive batters retired heading into the third inning.
OSU took advantage of the six walks issued by Louisiana’s pitching staff, as each one factored into a scoring tally for the Cowgirls.
Maxwell’s 10 strikeouts were the most totaled by an opposing pitcher against the Ragin’ Cajuns on the young season.
The loss was the second straight for Louisiana following a season-opening, five-game winning streak as it followed Friday night’s hard-fought 7-6 defeat vs. Michigan. The Ragin’ Cajuns moved to 1-2 in the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational.
Louisiana and OSU met for the first time since the 2021 LSU Crossover. The Cowgirls collected a second straight series victory and upped their all-time lead over the Ragin’ Cajuns to 8-5.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
No. 22 Louisiana wraps up a day-night Saturday doubleheader at the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational in Clearwater, Florida when the squad meets No. 4 Arkansas at 3:30 p.m. (CST) on Field 1 at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.
The Ragin’ Cajuns-Razorbacks matchup can be viewed on ESPN+ available at WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN app. Radio coverage, with the call from Jay Walker and Bobby Neveaux, is available in the Acadiana region on 103.3 FM and 1420 AM and worldwide through the Ragin’ Cajuns Digital Network (links available on softball schedule page at RaginCajuns.com).
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Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin’ Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
