The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball team made Saturday's surprise ending a distant memory by unleashing an onslaught of offense in a resounding 23-0 (5 inn.) win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the finale of the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational on Sunday, February 15 at Lamson Park.

After Bethaney Noble (5.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 3 K) retired the side in order to begin her Senior Day start, the offense started clicking right away to leave no doubt in the outcome.

The Ragin' Cajuns (6-3) started the day off with four consecutive hits and sent nine straight batters to the plate before an out was recorded on the way to recording 10 runs in their first at bat.

A bases-clearing triple by Mia Norwood (3-for-4, two triples, HR, 4 RBI) broke the flood dates wide open, advancing the lead to 7-0 before the first out could be recorded by the Islanders (3-7).

Louisiana's flurry of offense was punctuated by a three-run home run from Brooke Otto (2-for-3, HR, 4 RBI) in the second inning that stretched the lead to 16-0 and a three-run homer from Miki Watts (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI) in the fourth inning that pushed the Ragin' Cajuns to the 20-run mark.

Heads-up defensive plays made by Watts and Otto in the fifth inning with Islanders on the base path preserved the shutout for Noble, which was the first of the season for Louisiana's pitching staff.

Charged by seven players with multiple hits led by four from freshman Haley Hart (4-for-4, two doubles, 3 RBI), the Ragin' Cajuns finished with 22 hits – five shy of the school record (27 vs. Samford; April 15, 1995).

Louisiana posted its largest margin of victory since defeating UAB by the exact same score on Feb. 11, 2022.

It was the first five-inning, run-rule triumph of the Alyson Habetz era and for the program since defeating Baylor 13-0 on Championship Sunday in the 2024 NCAA Regional at Lamson Park.

Sunday's contest concluded a season-opening homestand for Louisiana which now plays 19 of its next 20 games on the road through March 20.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana has a busy seven-game week that begins on Mardi Gras Day (Tuesday, Feb. 17) in Tallahassee, Florida with a 5:00 p.m. (CST) contest against No. 6 Florida State.

The contest with the Seminoles from JoAnne Graf Field at Seminole Softball Complex airs on ACC Network Extra with radio coverage available on The GOAT 103.3 FM and 1420 AM and Varsity Network.

After returning from Tallahassee, the Ragin' Cajuns play six games spread across the LSU Purple and Gold Challenge in Baton Rouge and McNeese's Cajun AC Louisiana Clash in Lake Charles from Friday-Sunday, February 20-22.