University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Sunday, February 22
Lamson Park
2:30 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
14-0
11
vs
3
McNeese State
9-5
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Louisiana
4
1
1
1
4
11
7
0
McNeese State
2
0
0
0
1
3
4
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hamilton, Christina (3-0)
L: Allred, Jamie (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Landry, Shellie 1
3B: Craighton, Aleah 1
HR: Hayden, Haley 1 ; Elkins, Lexie 1
RBI: Hayden, Haley 1 ; Landry, Shellie 1 ; Elkins, Lexie 3 ; Craighton, Aleah 3 ; Corbello, Sara 1
SH: Martinez, Kelli 1
SF: Craighton, Aleah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hayden, Haley 2 ; Landry, Shellie 1 ; Zeringue, Kassidy 1 ; Elkins, Lexie 1 ; Walsh, Samantha 2 ; Vincent, Kelsey 1 ; Craighton, Aleah 1 ; Sanders, DJ 2
SB: Craighton, Aleah 1
CS: Walsh, Samantha 1 ; Maly, Leandra 1
HBP: Hayden, Haley 1 ; Walsh, Samantha 1 ; Vincent, Kelsey 1 ; Martinez, Kelli 1
Batting:
HR: Piancastelli, Erika 1 ; Goree, Taylor 1
RBI: Piancastelli, Erika 1 ; Goree, Taylor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vincent, Emily 1 ; Piancastelli, Erika 1 ; Goree, Taylor 1
CS: Matiko, Dakota 1
HBP: Matiko, Dakota 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
RF
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
P
/ Softball2B
/ SoftballLF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
1B
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
3B
/ Softball
Hitters Set the Tone Early in Win Over McNeese State
2/22/2015 6:01:00 PM | Softball
LAFAYETTE - The No. 6 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team completed its third undefeated tournament run of the 2015 season with a 11-3 (5 inn.) victory over McNeese State Sunday afternoon at Lamson Park in the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational finale.
Haley Hayden led off the game with a solo home run, jumpstarting the Cajuns (14-0) offense to its weekend-high runs total. Christina Hamilton tossed the final four innings in relief of Jordan Wallace and quieted the Cowgirls (9-5) after they had pushed across two runs in the bottom of the first.
Louisiana added three more runs after Hayden's leadoff home run, then added runs each subsequent inning in building an insurmountable lead. A three-run home run by Lexie Elkins in the fifth inning capped off squad's scoring.
"What Christina did today was pretty impressive because her command was really good," head coach Michael Lotief said. "I'm proud of the hitters for the way they responded today. I liked the way they just came out and set the tone right from the beginning."
The win extended Louisiana's season-opening undefeated start to 14 games. It's the program's best start since opening the 2012 season at 29-0.
The Ragin' Cajuns are set for a Top 10 showdown with current No.3 Alabama (13-3) Friday-Sunday, Feb. 27-March 1 at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. All games in the series are being broadcast on the SEC Network and also streamed on ESPN3.com.
Shellie Landry went 2-for-4 with a double and RBI adding to a tournament resume that featured a 7-for-17 performance at the plate with four runs scored, two home runs and 7 RBI. The Broussard, La., native was named Tournament MVP.
Hamilton made her second relief appearance of the weekend (relieved Alex Stewart vs. Iowa) and allowed only one hit over McNeese's final four at bats, a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Including a start vs. Hofstra on Saturday, Hamilton tossed 14 2/3 innings and held opponents to one run off six hits, landing her All-Tournament honors.
After Hayden's solo homer, Aleah Craighton's third triple of the season banged off the right field fence and plated Samantha Walsh and Kelsey Vincent - both hit by a pitch - to push the early lead to 3-0. Craighton would score on a double steal attempt and Louisiana led 4-0 after a half inning.
The Cowgirls collected three hits off of Wallace in the bottom of the first. One was a two-run home run from Erika Piancastelli which sliced the lead in half and ended Wallace's string of consecutive scoreless innings pitched to start the season at 38 1/3 innings.
Louisiana added single runs in the second, third and fourth innings. Hamilton posted zeros in the McNeese frames and the Cajuns advantage grew to 7-2.
After a hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Cajuns in the top of the fifth inning, an illegal pitch forced in a run to make it 8-2. Elkins' home run grew the lead to 11-2 providing enough cushion for the run rule to be applied.
McNeese would add a solo home run off of Hamilton in the bottom of the fifth, but she retired the next three batters to wrap up the victory.
Sunday's meeting was the first of two between the teams this season. Louisiana travels to Lake Charles, La., to meet McNeese State at Cowgirl Diamond on April 1.
DIAMOND NOTES: With home runs by Haley Hayden and Lexie Elkins, the Cajuns have now homered in each game this season (14) and hit multiple home runs in nine of the 14 games played...Hayden's home run was her seventh, tying her with Shellie Landry for the team lead...After being held without a home run in the opening weekend, Lexie Elkins has hit six home runs the last two weekends...Of her 17 base hits, Shellie Landry has seen 11 go for extra bases (4 doubles, 7 home runs)...Aleah Craighton's three RBI marked her fifth multiple-RBI game and third time with at least three RBI...Through the first three weekend's of play the Cajuns are batting .353 and outscoring opponents 121-7...Four different pitchers have combined to record the Cajuns' 14 victories - Jordan Wallace (5), Alex Stewart (4), Christina Hamilton (3) and Kylee Jo Trahan (2)...Cajuns pitchers have walked just 23 and struck out 128 in 87 innings...Louisiana has scored first in all 14 games and scored in the first inning eight times...The Cajuns have out-hit opponents all 14 games and hold a 132-36 advantage in hits...Nine different players have reached 10 hits led by Aleah Craighton's 23...Louisiana improved to 97-24 all-time vs. McNeese State and extended the current series win streak over the Cowgirls to seven games.
Haley Hayden led off the game with a solo home run, jumpstarting the Cajuns (14-0) offense to its weekend-high runs total. Christina Hamilton tossed the final four innings in relief of Jordan Wallace and quieted the Cowgirls (9-5) after they had pushed across two runs in the bottom of the first.
Louisiana added three more runs after Hayden's leadoff home run, then added runs each subsequent inning in building an insurmountable lead. A three-run home run by Lexie Elkins in the fifth inning capped off squad's scoring.
"What Christina did today was pretty impressive because her command was really good," head coach Michael Lotief said. "I'm proud of the hitters for the way they responded today. I liked the way they just came out and set the tone right from the beginning."
The win extended Louisiana's season-opening undefeated start to 14 games. It's the program's best start since opening the 2012 season at 29-0.
The Ragin' Cajuns are set for a Top 10 showdown with current No.3 Alabama (13-3) Friday-Sunday, Feb. 27-March 1 at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. All games in the series are being broadcast on the SEC Network and also streamed on ESPN3.com.
Shellie Landry went 2-for-4 with a double and RBI adding to a tournament resume that featured a 7-for-17 performance at the plate with four runs scored, two home runs and 7 RBI. The Broussard, La., native was named Tournament MVP.
Hamilton made her second relief appearance of the weekend (relieved Alex Stewart vs. Iowa) and allowed only one hit over McNeese's final four at bats, a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Including a start vs. Hofstra on Saturday, Hamilton tossed 14 2/3 innings and held opponents to one run off six hits, landing her All-Tournament honors.
After Hayden's solo homer, Aleah Craighton's third triple of the season banged off the right field fence and plated Samantha Walsh and Kelsey Vincent - both hit by a pitch - to push the early lead to 3-0. Craighton would score on a double steal attempt and Louisiana led 4-0 after a half inning.
The Cowgirls collected three hits off of Wallace in the bottom of the first. One was a two-run home run from Erika Piancastelli which sliced the lead in half and ended Wallace's string of consecutive scoreless innings pitched to start the season at 38 1/3 innings.
Louisiana added single runs in the second, third and fourth innings. Hamilton posted zeros in the McNeese frames and the Cajuns advantage grew to 7-2.
After a hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Cajuns in the top of the fifth inning, an illegal pitch forced in a run to make it 8-2. Elkins' home run grew the lead to 11-2 providing enough cushion for the run rule to be applied.
McNeese would add a solo home run off of Hamilton in the bottom of the fifth, but she retired the next three batters to wrap up the victory.
Sunday's meeting was the first of two between the teams this season. Louisiana travels to Lake Charles, La., to meet McNeese State at Cowgirl Diamond on April 1.
DIAMOND NOTES: With home runs by Haley Hayden and Lexie Elkins, the Cajuns have now homered in each game this season (14) and hit multiple home runs in nine of the 14 games played...Hayden's home run was her seventh, tying her with Shellie Landry for the team lead...After being held without a home run in the opening weekend, Lexie Elkins has hit six home runs the last two weekends...Of her 17 base hits, Shellie Landry has seen 11 go for extra bases (4 doubles, 7 home runs)...Aleah Craighton's three RBI marked her fifth multiple-RBI game and third time with at least three RBI...Through the first three weekend's of play the Cajuns are batting .353 and outscoring opponents 121-7...Four different pitchers have combined to record the Cajuns' 14 victories - Jordan Wallace (5), Alex Stewart (4), Christina Hamilton (3) and Kylee Jo Trahan (2)...Cajuns pitchers have walked just 23 and struck out 128 in 87 innings...Louisiana has scored first in all 14 games and scored in the first inning eight times...The Cajuns have out-hit opponents all 14 games and hold a 132-36 advantage in hits...Nine different players have reached 10 hits led by Aleah Craighton's 23...Louisiana improved to 97-24 all-time vs. McNeese State and extended the current series win streak over the Cowgirls to seven games.
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