LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – The 19th-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball team batted around in the first inning and built a commanding lead that stood in a 9-4 win over No. 7 LSU on Tuesday at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park.

Mihyia Davis (2-for-4, 2 RBI) led off with a triple and when her turn came around again smacked a two-run single that stretched the Ragin’ Cajuns early lead to 6-2 – an emphatic reply to two-out hitting from LSU that gave the visitors the lead first.

Chloe Riassetto (6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 K) who calmed the waters in the first inning went on to hold the Tigers scoreless until a two-out homer in the sixth. Riassetto retired the first eight batters that she faced and wound up with four innings of retiring the side in order.

Back-to-back home runs from Alexa Langeliers (2-for-2, HR, RBI) and Brooke Ellestad (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) in the fourth inning delivered the final blow for Louisiana (34-15), advancing the lead to 8-2.

The Tigers (35-11) moved away from run-rule territory in the sixth with Karli Petty’s two-run home run that trimmed the deficit to 9-4.

The win allowed Louisiana to even the midweek home-and-home series between the I-10 neighbors and was the squad’s 13th straight home victory.

The Ragin’ Cajuns snapped a three-game losing streak to LSU at Lamson Park and handed the Tigers their first non-conference loss of the 2024 season.

The six-run first, UL’s highest output in the initial frame since the season opener, was kept alive by walks drawn from Cecilia Vasquez and Kayla Falterman after it appeared LSU reliever Kelley Lynch would escape a bases loaded, no outs situation with the score knotted at 2-all.

Eight of the nine starters in Louisiana’s lineup recorded at least one hit as the squad piled up 12 off the Tigers pitching trio of Raelin Chaffin, Lynch and Sydney Berzon. The Ragin’ Cajuns, who had 14 hits in both games of the Southern Miss doubleheader, reached double figures in hits a third straight game and posted the most off of LSU pitching in non-conference play this season.

The Ragin’ Cajuns and Tigers split their home-and-home series for the second straight season. UL trimmed LSU’s edge to 10-6 since the annual series resumed in 2020.

No. 19 Louisiana travels to Lake Charles on Wednesday for its final midweek game of the season, taking on McNeese State (33-15) in 6 p.m. contest from Joe Miller Field at Cowgirl Diamond.

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