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The 18th ranked University of Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns ended the second ranked Florida’s eight game win streak Sunday afternoon. After Florida blanked Louisiana in a doubleheader on Saturday, the Gators were beaten 4-3 in 11 innings on Sunday.
Florida Came Out Swinging
The Gators (8-1) brought the heat early on. A leadoff walk by Janell Wheaton followed by Aleshia Ocasio’s single gave the Gators a good start. Sophia Reynoso took first base after getting hit by a 2-2 pitch and with the bases loaded, Amanda Lorenz extended her hitting streak to seven games after ripping a two-RBI single, bringing in Wheaton and Ocasio.
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Ragin’ Cajuns on the Board
The Ragin’ Cajuns (7-2) scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, the first runs they had scored all weekend long. The bases were loaded with one out when Alissa Dalton got up to the plate; her single to right center field drove in Brittany Rodriguez and Aeriyl Mass tying the game 2-2. Mass reached base when Kelly Barnhill walked her and Rodriguez was safe on a throwing error.
Extra Innings
In the bottom of the ninth, Louisiana failed to take advantage of their best chance to end the game. The first two batters reached base safely and a ground out advanced the runners. But a strikeout and a ground out gave the Gators life and the game went into extra innings.
In the top of the 11th Florida’s Hannah Adams batted in the Gators’ third and final run as Ocasio scored her second run and the Gators took the lead 3-2.
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Gator coach Tim Walton liked what he saw from Adams.
“Hannah Adams had a really nice hit, as a freshman on the road and to be able to deliver that hit and the go ahead RB was crucial,” Walton said.
That lead however, would not hold up as Louisiana’s Casidy Chaumont hit a walk-off two run homer in the 11th inning to send the Gators to their first defeat of the year.
Looking Ahead
The Gators will next host a midweek doubleheader against Oakland University Wednesday at 4 p.m. Wednesday’s game is the first of eight straight home games. Walton said the team has to play better defense and run the bases better.
“We are going to have to rely heavily on our depth,” Walton said. “We have a lot of positional depth, so we’re going catch multiple catchers, pitch multiple pitchers and give everyone a chance to go out there and earn a spot. We have a lot of players who have been working hard and they need to be rewarded with some real game time.”
