LAFAYETTE — Before Friday night’s matchup with ULM, Louisiana honored senior Sam Roe. By the end of the night, Roe gave the home crowd even more to celebrate.
In a thrilling extra-inning finish, Roe delivered a walk-off hit to lift the Ragin’ Cajuns to a dramatic 5-3 victory over the Warhawks.
Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Louisiana took advantage of ULM miscues to load the bases. That’s when Kayla Falterman came through in the clutch, driving in all three runners on an RBI double to tie the game.
“I just wanted to put the ball in play and pass the bat,” Falterman said. “We talked about passing the bat, and we really trust each other throughout the offense. If the person before doesn’t get it done, we’re gonna have each other’s back.”
Falterman was tagged out at second, sending the game to extra innings. That set the stage for Roe, who delivered the game-winning hit with a runner on, proving that timely hitting makes all the difference.
“Kayla has been preaching to us—just find a way to get the job done,” Roe said. “And I really think everyone bought into that plan tonight. We just found ways to get jobs done. It was absolutely amazing. Having my family there made it even more special. They drove 11 hours just to come watch me play—my nephew, my sister, and my brother were here. It was just super special.”
Cajuns head coach Alyson Habetz praised both players for their composure in big moments.
“She’s just tremendous,” Habetz said of Falterman. “When coaches talk about the ‘it factor,’ that’s it in bold, the font as big as you can make it. She’s got it, and you can’t define it, but it’s something special without a doubt.”
On Roe’s walk-off, Habetz added: “She looked like a major league hitter right there—waiting for the one she wanted and taking her cut on it. On her day, with her family here, it was just a storybook ending. The whole team was so happy for her. It was special.”
The Cajuns won’t have long to celebrate, as they continue their series against ULM with Game 2 set for Saturday, March 22 at 2 p.m.
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers