UL Softball Dominates UT-Arlington, Sweeps Doubleheader

The 5th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajun softball team recorded two convincing victories on Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader from the UT-Arlington Mavericks in Arlington Texas.

Louisiana won both games in 5-inning mercy-rule fashion taking the first game, 13-0, before winning the second game, 16-0.

The two wins extended the Cajuns' current win streak to 16 games, while keeping their conference mark spotless.

Louisiana dominated the two games, outscoring UT-Arlington, 29-0, while outhitting them, 26-2, to go along with a 5-inning perfect game by a UL pitcher.

The Cajuns hit 8 total home runs on the afternoon, including three grand slam home runs.

In the opener, sophomore shortstop D.J. Sanders crushed a grand slam homer in a 5-run UL first inning, and the route was on.

Louisiana also scored 4 runs in the third inning, one in the fourth, and three more in the fifth.

Senior catcher Lexie Elkins and sophomore centerfielder Aleah Craighton also homered, while junior second baseman Hayley Hayden and junior right-fielder Kassidy Zeringue contributed with two hits each.

Junior right-hander Alex Stewart (10-0) stayed perfect on the season, allowing only two hits, no runs, and three walks, while striking out 6.

Samantha Clakley (11-2) suffered the loss in the circle for the Mavericks, allowing 9 runs on 9 hits in 3 innings of work.

View the box score from game one.

In the second game, the Cajuns scored an unearned run the top of the first inning, before Craighton belted a two-run homer in the top of the 3rd inning, to extend the lead to 3-0.

After that the flood gates opened, as Louisiana plated 7 run in the top half of the 4th, courtesy of a 3-run homer by senior first baseman Kelsey Vincent, and a grand slam by Hayden, to make it 100, before adding 6 more run in the 5th, courtesy of a grand slam by Craighton, her 3rd of the day, along with her 7th run batted in, and a solo shot by Sanders.

UL got 3 hits from Vincent in the night cap, along with two hits apiece from Hayden, Elkins, Craighton, and freshman third baseman Kara Gremillion.

Sophomore right-hander Kylee Jo Trahan (9-1) tossed a 5-inning perfect game, her second of the season, to go along with her third no-hitter, striking out 9.

Sam Montes (5-1) was saddled with the loss for UT-Arlington, allowing 9 run in 4 innings in the circle.

View the box score from game two.

With the two wins, Louisiana improved to 22-1, overall, and 4-0 in Sun Belt Conference play, while UT-Arlington fell to 21-4, and 0-2, respectively.

The two teams will conclude the series with a single game on Sunday at noon.

You can hear all the play-by-play action on ESPN 1420 and espn1420.com, beginning with the pre-game show at 11:45 am.