LAFAYETTE, La. | South Alabama held Louisiana scoreless for the first six-plus innings, but the Ragin' Cajuns scored two runs over the final two frames to defeat the Jags, 2-1 in eight innings Thursday night at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park. 

Dayzja Williams scored the tying run in the seventh and then drove in the game-winning run for Louisiana (21-22, 7-9 SBC) in the eighth.

South Alabama falls to 17-25 on the year and 6-9 in league play with the loss. 

Quotable – head coach Becky Clark
- On the game: "Tough loss today. Both teams played hard, but they got the hit and we didn't. This is a big series for us, so we've got to put this one behind us and get ready for tomorrow."

How It Happened 
•    Louisiana was the first to have a scoring opportunity. Emily Smith dropped in a two-out single in right and Sam Roe was hit by a pitch to put a pair aboard for the Ragin' Cajuns in the bottom of the first. Kayla Falterman then lined a single to center to load the bases, but Olivia Cato was able to get out of the jam with a fly out to right.
•    South threatened to break the scoreless tie in its half of the fifth. Frankie Andujo reached on a two-out single, and Caitlyn Gavin followed with an infield single to put runners at first and second, but Tyra Clary was able to get a force out at third to end the inning.
•    Erin Ardin lined a single back up the middle – the first leadoff batter to reach for UL – in the bottom half of the fifth. Mia Liscano then reached on a bunt single to turn the lineup over for the Cajuns. After a pair of fly outs to left, both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but Cato again was able to get out of the jam and keep the game scoreless as she retired Smith to end the frame and strand the runners.
•    The Jaguars finally broke the scoreless tie, pushing across a run in their half of the sixth. Lively led off the inning with a double to the gap in left center and then moved over to third on Amity White's sacrifice bunt. Olivia Branstetter was then intentionally walked to put runners at the corners. Stephanie Gonzalez then laid down a squeeze bunt and Lively raced home, just beating the tag attempt and giving South the 1-0 lead.
•    Sam Roe lined a leadoff single through the right side of the infield to begin the next half inning for the Cajuns. Pinch runner McKayla Ferguson moved to second one batter later on a sac bunt, and with two outs Gabbie Stutes was hit by a pitch and Ardin walked to load the bases. For the second time in the game though, Cato was able to work out of the jam as she got a foul out to end the inning and maintain the one-run lead.  
•    South Alabama threatened to tack on an insurance run its half of the seventh. Andujo drew a leadoff walk to begin the frame and the freshman shortstop moved into scoring position on Gavin's sacrifice bunt. Andujo then moved to third on a ground out to second to flip the batting order over, but a ground out to first ended the inning.
•    The missed opportunity to push across a run in the top half of the inning would prove costly. Maddie Hayden singled back up the middle on the first pitch of the inning, and Williams reached on a Jaguar error while attempting to sacrifice the runner over. With the bases loaded, Louisiana was able to tie the game up (1-1) when Williams scored after Falterman reached on an infield single.
•    Branstetter reached on a fielder's choice and Gonzalez drew a walk to put a pair on for the Jags with one out in the eighth, but Mallory Wheeler (9-8) induced a pop out on the infield and then recorded a strikeout looking to strand the runners.
•    Liscano lined a single back up the middle with one away in the bottom of the eighth and Hayden singled off Tori Miller's (6-8) glove on a shot back up the middle to put runners at first and second. Williams then lined a single that Andujo was unable to come up with as the ball rolled into shallow left field, allowing Liscano to score (UL, 2-1).

Postgame Notes
•    The meeting marked the 60th in the all-time series and the 27th in Lafayette
•    Branstetter's fourth-inning single ended a streak of 11 straight retired by Clary
•    Branstetter has had a hit in five straight, 11 of her last 15, and reached base 17 of her last 19 games
•    Andujo has reached base safely in four straight and had a hit in each of her last three
•    Gavin has had a hit in nine of her last 12, including six of her last seven, and reached base safely in 11 of her last 13 games
•    Lively has had a hit or a walk in five of her last six and 25 of her last 30 outings
•    Lively extended her career-best reached base safely streak to 10 games
•    Lively has also reached base safely in 34 of her 42 games this spring
•    Lively has scored at least one run in four straight, eight of her last 10, and over her last 18 games, the freshman has scored 17 times
•    Lively has also scored a run in 28 games this spring
•    With her eighth-inning single, White has had at least one hit in eight of her last 11
•    Gonzalez has also reached base safely in 12 of her last 16 games
•    Over her last two games, Gonzalez has driven in eight runs

Up Next
•    South Alabama will take on Louisiana in game two of the series on Friday night at 6 p.m. 

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