YOUNGSVILLE - A pitcher's duel got away from the 15th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball team after the third inning as No. 2 Alabama quickly put up the runs needed to finish the game, 8-0, in five innings on Sunday, Feb. 27 in the Mardi Gras Mambo at the Youngsville Sports Complex.
The loss was the lone defeat of the weekend for Louisiana (10-2) in its first appearance at the YSC Mardi Gras Mambo, finishing the tournament with a 4-1 mark. Alabama (15-0) captured a win over the Ragin' Cajuns for the second time in four days, with Sunday's win adding to a 9-1 (5 inn.) triumph on Thursday (Feb. 24) at Lamson Park.
Over the first three innings, Louisiana's Kandra Lamb and Alabama's Montana Fouts were putting on a show for the crowd. Neither pitcher gave up a run and Lamb was stealing the spotlight yielding no hits and only one baserunner.
The Ragin' Cajuns had the first opportunity to put a run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third when Stormy Kotzelnick led off with a walk, stole second base, and reached third on an error after the swipe. The Crimson Tide escaped the threat when Kotzelnick was tagged out on a fielder's choice grounder and a strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play ended the inning with the scoreless duel still intact.
Over the next two innings, Alabama would take advantage of the opportunities it was presented.
The Crimson Tide used the short game to speed up the Ragin' Cajuns defense leading to an error that resulted in three unearned runs crossing the plate in the fourth inning to break the scoreless affair. In the fifth inning, an error induced by the short game once again resulted in an unearned run giving Alabama a 4-0 lead, then run-scoring hits from Kaylee Tow, Megan Bloodworth, and Bailey Dowling expanded the advantage to 8-0.
Kotzelnick and Laney Credeur each tallied a hit and drew a walk off of Fouts. As a unit, the Ragin' Cajuns coaxed four walks from Fouts. Lamb was charged with a hard-luck loss as she was responsible for only two runs, struck out four, and took a no-hitter into the fourth inning.
UP NEXT
Louisiana travels to Nacogdoches, Texas for a Mardi Gras day (March 1) doubleheader at SFA, marking the team's first true road games of the 2022 season. The Ragin' Cajuns and Lumberjacks are scheduled to begin the twinbill at 3:00 p.m. from the SFA Softball Field (3715 Old Tyler Rd, Nacogdoches, TX).
The games are set to be broadcast live on ESPN+ and can be heard locally on the radio via KROF 960 AM with Ian Auzenne and Bobby Neveaux on the call. Links for live coverage of the doubleheader can be accessed on the softball schedule page at RaginCajuns.com
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