University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Tuesday, April 21
Lake Charles, La.
6:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
25-23
3
at
4
McNeese
32-18
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| McNeese | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 10 | 2 |
Cajuns’ Comeback Bid Falls Short at McNeese
4/21/2026 10:00:00 PM | Softball
Hart homers in seventh, Liscano doubles to put tying run in scoring position, but Cowgirls escape
LAKE CHARLES – McNeese built an early four-run lead and held off a late rally by the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball team to escape with a 4-3 victory on Tuesday, April 21 at Joe Miller Field at Cowgirl Diamond in Lake Charles.
Louisiana (25-23) chipped away at the deficit and brought the tying run into scoring position in the seventh inning, but couldn't deliver the final hit to complete the comeback.
The result snapped the Ragin' Cajuns three-game win streak – the squad coming off an SBC series sweep of Coastal Carolina – and allowed the Cowgirls (32-18) to split the season series for the second straight season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a tough opening, Ragin' Cajuns starter Bailey Mackles (4.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 1 K) settled in the circle and kept her team within reach.
McNeese scored once in the first and added three more in the second, capitalizing on four hits and aggressive baserunning to take control early.
The Ragin' Cajuns responded in the third inning, taking advantage of an error to plate two unearned runs. Kennedy Marceaux delivered the key hit, lining a two-run single to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Mackles regrouped from there, tossing back-to-back scoreless innings and working into the fifth inning, holding the Cowgirls at a standstill.
Julianne Tipton (2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R) then provided a steady presence out of the bullpen, tossing scoreless relief in the fifth and sixth innings. The right-hander relied on her defense, inducing a pair of double plays to prevent McNeese scoring chances and keep Louisiana within striking distance.
Trailing by two entering the seventh, UL made one final push. Haley Hart extended the inning and kept the Cajuns alive with a two-out solo home run to left-center, trimming the margin to 4-3. Mia Liscano immediately followed with a double, putting the tying run in scoring position.
McNeese, however, secured the final out on a fly ball to end the threat and seal the win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Hart led Louisiana's offense with a 4-for-4 performance, scoring twice, capturing her ninth home run of the season and raising her average to .386. It was the 12th multiple-hit game of the season for the freshman product of Spanish Fort, Alabama, and the second with four hits, matching the count produced Feb. 15 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Marceaux (1-for-3) drove in two runs and tallied at least one hit for the 16th time in the past 17 games, while Liscano (2-for-3) added a pair of doubles as she extended her hitting streak to four games and reached base for the 20th time in the past 21 games.
Louisiana totaled eight hits in the contest – the entire production from the top four hitters in the lineup.
Rylee Cloud (2-for-3) paced McNeese with three RBIs, helping provide the early cushion that proved decisive. Pitchers Brookelyn Taylor (5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) and Maddie Taylor (2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K) scattered eight hits, struck out eight and limited Louisiana to 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana welcomes Sun Belt Conference-leading Marshall (34-12, 15-3 SBC) to Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park for a three-game series from Friday-Sunday, April 24-26. It's the Ragin' Cajuns' final home conference series of the 2026 regular season.
The series opener is set for 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Play continues Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and concludes on Sunday with the series finale at 12:00 p.m.
The UL Softball program will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday, April 25 highlighted by the annual Bats and Bugs Crawfish Boil which follows the contest. Tickets for the crawfish boil can be purchased at any upcoming home game or online at RaginCajuns.com/BatsBugs.
All games will be televised on ESPN+ with Dan McDonald and Yvette Girouard calling the action. Fans can listen to the radio broadcast on The GOAT 103.3 FM and 1420 AM in the Acadiana region and worldwide on Varsity Network with Cody Junot (pxp) and Bobby Neveaux (analyst) providing commentary.
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Facebook (/RaginCajunsSB), Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB) and Instagram (@Louisiana.SB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Softball.
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.
Louisiana Softball season and single-game tickets are currently on sale, outfield general admission seating only, available for purchase online at RaginCajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 482-GoUL (4685). Fans can support the softball student athletes, and invest in the program's future, through The Cajuns Edge Fund (click here) to contribute directly to the Louisiana Athletics and Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Foundation's revenue-sharing initiative or by joining the Centerfield Club (click here).
Louisiana (25-23) chipped away at the deficit and brought the tying run into scoring position in the seventh inning, but couldn't deliver the final hit to complete the comeback.
The result snapped the Ragin' Cajuns three-game win streak – the squad coming off an SBC series sweep of Coastal Carolina – and allowed the Cowgirls (32-18) to split the season series for the second straight season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a tough opening, Ragin' Cajuns starter Bailey Mackles (4.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 1 K) settled in the circle and kept her team within reach.
McNeese scored once in the first and added three more in the second, capitalizing on four hits and aggressive baserunning to take control early.
The Ragin' Cajuns responded in the third inning, taking advantage of an error to plate two unearned runs. Kennedy Marceaux delivered the key hit, lining a two-run single to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Mackles regrouped from there, tossing back-to-back scoreless innings and working into the fifth inning, holding the Cowgirls at a standstill.
Julianne Tipton (2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R) then provided a steady presence out of the bullpen, tossing scoreless relief in the fifth and sixth innings. The right-hander relied on her defense, inducing a pair of double plays to prevent McNeese scoring chances and keep Louisiana within striking distance.
Trailing by two entering the seventh, UL made one final push. Haley Hart extended the inning and kept the Cajuns alive with a two-out solo home run to left-center, trimming the margin to 4-3. Mia Liscano immediately followed with a double, putting the tying run in scoring position.
McNeese, however, secured the final out on a fly ball to end the threat and seal the win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Hart led Louisiana's offense with a 4-for-4 performance, scoring twice, capturing her ninth home run of the season and raising her average to .386. It was the 12th multiple-hit game of the season for the freshman product of Spanish Fort, Alabama, and the second with four hits, matching the count produced Feb. 15 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Marceaux (1-for-3) drove in two runs and tallied at least one hit for the 16th time in the past 17 games, while Liscano (2-for-3) added a pair of doubles as she extended her hitting streak to four games and reached base for the 20th time in the past 21 games.
Louisiana totaled eight hits in the contest – the entire production from the top four hitters in the lineup.
Rylee Cloud (2-for-3) paced McNeese with three RBIs, helping provide the early cushion that proved decisive. Pitchers Brookelyn Taylor (5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) and Maddie Taylor (2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K) scattered eight hits, struck out eight and limited Louisiana to 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana welcomes Sun Belt Conference-leading Marshall (34-12, 15-3 SBC) to Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park for a three-game series from Friday-Sunday, April 24-26. It's the Ragin' Cajuns' final home conference series of the 2026 regular season.
The series opener is set for 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Play continues Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and concludes on Sunday with the series finale at 12:00 p.m.
The UL Softball program will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday, April 25 highlighted by the annual Bats and Bugs Crawfish Boil which follows the contest. Tickets for the crawfish boil can be purchased at any upcoming home game or online at RaginCajuns.com/BatsBugs.
All games will be televised on ESPN+ with Dan McDonald and Yvette Girouard calling the action. Fans can listen to the radio broadcast on The GOAT 103.3 FM and 1420 AM in the Acadiana region and worldwide on Varsity Network with Cody Junot (pxp) and Bobby Neveaux (analyst) providing commentary.
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Facebook (/RaginCajunsSB), Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB) and Instagram (@Louisiana.SB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Softball.
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.
Louisiana Softball season and single-game tickets are currently on sale, outfield general admission seating only, available for purchase online at RaginCajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 482-GoUL (4685). Fans can support the softball student athletes, and invest in the program's future, through The Cajuns Edge Fund (click here) to contribute directly to the Louisiana Athletics and Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Foundation's revenue-sharing initiative or by joining the Centerfield Club (click here).
- www.RaginCajuns.com -
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Brookelyn Taylor (11-6)
L: Mackles, Bailey (1-3)
S: Maddie Taylor (2)
Batting:
2B: Liscano, Mia 2
HR: Hart, Haley 1
RBI: Hart, Haley 1 ; Marceaux, Kennedy 2
SH: Liscano, Mia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hart, Haley 2 ; Ferguson, McKayla 1
Batting:
2B: Jada Munoz 1 ; Meiko Dominguez 1
RBI: Rylee Cloud 3 ; Maddie Taylor 1
SH: Maddie Weeks 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kassidy Chance 2 ; Rylee Cloud 1 ; Alexis Dibbley 1
SB: Rylee Cloud 2
CS: Meiko Dominguez 1
HBP: Jada Munoz 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
4
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
IF
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
P
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