SB: Cajuns Lock Up Series Win Over JMU with Fast Start and Riassetto’s Pitching
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Two big innings and a commanding performance from Chloe Riassetto resulted in a 7-1 win for the 24th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball team over James Madison on Saturday, April 6 at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park.
As a result, No. 24 Louisiana (26-13, 11-0 SBC) secured the series victory over JMU (21-15, 5-6 SBC) thus extending the program's nation-leading streak of consecutive conference series won to 85 straight (dating back to March 2013).
After Riassetto retired the Dukes in order on 10 pitches in the first inning, the Cajuns went to work quickly. In the home half of the frame Brooke Ellestad delivered a two-run single and Maddie Hayden followed with a two-run double as the Cajuns rapidly built a 4-0 advantage.
Riassetto (7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 K) wouldn't allow the visiting Dukes any chance at playing catch up, yielding only one hit through the seventh inning. Along the way she retired JMU in order three more times and wound up facing only five batters over the minimum.
Louisiana stretched the lead in the fifth inning after breaking the stranglehold from relief pitcher Payton List. She was chased with Alexa Langeliers' double and Ellestad's RBI single, then Victoria Valdez lifted a two-run home run after a pitching change to Alissa Humphrey and the lead grew to 7-1.
The Cajuns generated four extra base hits in the contest led by two doubles from Hayden who upped her team season-leading total to 11.
Ellestad (2-for-3, 3 RBI) found herself in the familiar position of being UL's leading run producer. The three RBI pushed her series total to four RBI and increased her SBC play leading total to 23 RBI over 11 games.
It was the first complete game outing in SBC play for Riassetto, topping her previous long outing of 5-1/3 innings in a start at App State. The Cajuns lefty has worked nine innings in the JMU series and has yet to allow an earned run and has yielded just five hits.
With Saturday's win, the Ragin' Cajuns remained perfect (now 5-0) in SBC play against the Dukes. The result also preserves the two-game cushion over Texas State in the conference standings.
Louisiana continues its best start in Sun Belt Conference play since the 2019 team went undefeated (25-0).
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana concludes the three-game Sun Belt Conference series with James Madison at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park on Sunday, April 7. The series finale is slated to begin at 11:00 a.m.
The Cajuns will be holding Kids Day highlighted by anthem buddies and a postgame run of the bases. The trading cards series continues with the infielders, the cards available to the first 100 fans.
