CLEARWATER, Fla. – Freshman Haley Hayden hit a pair of two-run homers to drive in all four runs, leading the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball team past Rutgers on Sunday in the NFCA Leadoff Classic Finale at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.
The Cajuns (9-5-1) went 3-2 in the tournament with wins against Hofstra and Illinois State along with today’s victory against Rutgers.
“We have been working through some things this weekend,” head coach Michael Lotief said after the game. “I am proud of our kids for staying at it and continuing to make adjustments. It’s not pretty softball right now but they are fighting and believing and trying to get better to work through some things.”
Jordan Wallace tossed the complete game for the Cajuns, allowing three runs on five hits and striking out eight batters. She improved to 5-1 on the season.
“[Wallace] made some adjustments and she has more to make,” Lotief said. “If people think back to last year, we are in a similar situation to then.”
After Natalie Fernandez opened the game with a walk, Hayden hit her sixth home run of the season to give the Cajuns an early 2-0 lead, chasing Rutgers starting pitcher Aubrie Levine without recording an out.
The Scarlet Knights used a two-out two-run single in the third inning to tie the game at two on just their second hit off of Wallace in the game.
The pair of runs put Rutgers’ relief pitcher Alyssa Landrith in line for the decision. Landrith pitched the rest of the game, after Levine, tossing 6.0 innings and allowing two runs on four hits.
Hayden struck again in the fifth inning to break the tie. She sent her second home run of the game and seventh of the season over the left field fence, once again scoring Fernandez, giving the Cajuns a 4-3 lead.
The Scarlet Knights responded in the sixth inning with a one-out double to bring in one run. Wallace shut the door after that, picking up a three-pitch strikeout and a flyout to Hayden in center field to get out of the inning before too much damage was done.
Hayden finished the game 3-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI, and Fernandez finished the game 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored, combining for four-of-five Ragin’ Cajuns’ hits.
“[Hayden and Fernandez] are competitive kids and are hot right now,” Lotief said. “We have to get some more people going behind them, but they have been the spark so far in our offense.”
Hayden was named the the 2014 NFCA Leadoff Classic All-Tournament team.
The Cajuns will now head to Gulfport, Miss. next weekend to take part in the inaugural Gulfport College Classic. The Cajuns open the weekend on Friday when they take on UTSA (11 a.m.) and Baylor (5 p.m.), before taking on Chattanooga (2:30 p.m. Saturday), Ohio (5:30 p.m. Saturday) and Memphis (10:30 a.m. Sunday).
