Louisiana Completes Comeback to Beat Texas 6-5 in Extra Innings

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team came back from an early deficit to pick up a 6-5 road victory over the No. 15 Texas Longhorns on Wednesday night.

With the win, Louisiana improved to 21-8 overall. It's the team's first win over a top 25 opponent this season, and the Cajuns avenged their double-header loss to Texas at home two weeks ago.

Sam Landry started the game on the mound for the Cajuns, and the Longhorns offense got off to a fast start. Landry got two outs after giving up a leadoff single, but three two-out walks scored the first run of the game. Landry came back for a strikeout to strand the bases loaded.

Texas added to their lead in the bottom of the second with two runs on three hits against Landry. The Cajuns went to the bullpen and brought out Meghan Schorman who had an excellent performance on the mound in relief. Schorman walked the first batter she faced, and a two-out double scored a third run in the frame. However, Louisiana got the third out at the plate on the double, and they entered the third inning down 4-0.

The Cajuns offense was quiet to start the game but got a spark through poor defense by the Longhorns. After the first seven batters were retired in the game, the next three reached base on a pair of errors. In a bases loaded situation with one out, Stormy Kotzelnick hit a sacrifice fly-out to score the first run of the game. In the next at-bat, Jourdyn Campbell tied the game up with a massive two-out three-run home run to shift all the momentum to Louisiana.

Schorman retired the Texas batters in order for the first time in the contest. With some quality defense behind her, the Cajun reliever pitched five consecutive scoreless frames. She shut down a Texas offense that had gotten off to a fast start and kept the game tied.

Louisiana's offense had chances to score and take their first lead in regulation, but they were unable to get the big hit with runners in scoring position. Maddie Hayden reached second base with one out in the fifth, but she was stranded with a fly-out and a groundout.

In the sixth inning, Sophie Piskos hit a leadoff double, and Melissa Mayeux bunted pinch runner Karly Heath over to third base. However, two pop-ups stranded the leading run at third for the Cajuns.

Both pitchers threw scoreless frames in the seventh, and the two teams went into extra innings.

Louisiana rallied in the top of the eighth inning. In three straight at-bats, Campbell singled, Piskos doubled, and Mayeux hit a massive two-run single. The Cajuns took their first lead at 6-4 in the eighth inning.

Schorman struck out the first batter she faced in the bottom of the eighth, but a dropped pop-up fielding error put a runner at second base. This brought the tying run to the plate. In the next at-bat, a double scored a run. Schorman responded by getting two fly-outs to earn her fifth win of the season and give the Cajuns a big road victory over a top 25 opponent.

In 6.1 innings of relief pitching, Schorman allowed five hits and one unearned run while striking out four batters. Despite missing on scoring opportunities late in regulation, the Cajuns won on Mayeux's two-run single in the eighth inning.

Up next, Louisiana finishes their road trip to Texas with a three-game Sun Belt Conference series against the Texas State Bobcats. Game one of that series is set to start on Friday, April 1 at 6:00 p.m.