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Cajuns Stunned by Chanticleers’ Seventh Inning Rally
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CONWAY, La. (KLFY) -- The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball team had a game-long lead ripped out of its hands in the bottom of the seventh of the Sun Belt series opener at Coastal Carolina on Friday, March 28 when the host-Chanticleers rallied to walk off with a 5-4 win at St. John Stadium in Conway, South Carolina.
Maddy Jennings’ two-run home run and Delaney Keith’s two-run double allowed Coastal to overcome a 4-1 deficit it faced entering the final at bat. The stunning turn of events marked the first walk-off defeat and first loss when leading after six innings for Louisiana this season.
Louisiana (16-16, 3-4 SBC) had led from the start after moving Maddie Hayden around the base path for a 1-0 lead in the first inning and pitcher Tyra Clary had protected the advantage yielding only a single run that snuck in before the final out was recorded in the fifth inning.
Clary (6.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 K) pitched no-hit softball at the Chanticleers (27-7, 4-3 SBC) over the first three innings and allowed only one runner to safely advance past second base through the first five innings.
The Cajuns offense extended the early advantage in the third inning with an RBI double down the left field line from Laney Credeur (1-for-4, double, RBI) and clutch two-out single from Hayden (2-for-5, RBI), opening a 3-0 lead.
UL’s defense backed up Clary with double plays turned in the fourth and sixth inning. An insurance run was added in the top of the sixth when Sam Roe (1-for-2, RBI) shoved a hard-hit infield single to second base increasing the Cajuns’ edge to 4-1.
The double play ball rolled in the sixth inning shut down what at the time was the Chants’ best scoring threat of the night, coming after the first two batters had reached base.
Clary responded to the Jennings home run with her second strikeout looking of the seventh inning for the second out, however back-to-back infield singles kept the inning alive for Keith to deliver her heroics.
It was a tough-luck defeat for Clary who for the second time this week pitched no-hit softball over the first three innings, repeating the feat she turned in on Tuesday against No. 3-ranked LSU. The five strikeouts marked her season-high total and she held Coastal’s vaunted offense without a home run for 6-1/3 innings.
Smith, who opened the scoring with her infield single in the first inning, extended her season-best hitting streak to six games and posted an RBI for the third time in five outings since returning from injury.
Hayden posted her team-leading 13th multiple-hit game and upped her season-leading hits total to 38. For Roe, it was the ninth consecutive game she’s reached base continuing her upswing that coincided with the start of SBC play back on March 14.
The Chanticleers snapped a 15-game losing streak to the Ragin’ Cajuns. CCU holds three wins in the all-time series (UL leads 25-3) – each one occurring at St. John Stadium.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana seeks to even the three-game Sun Belt Conference series with Coastal Carolina when the two teams return to St. John Stadium in Conway, South Carolina on Saturday, March 29. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. (CDT).