LAFAYETTE, La. (JMU Athletics) – James Madison softball fell in its series finale to No. 24 Louisiana by a score of 9-2 on Sunday afternoon at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park.

The Cajuns won for their 18th try in 19 games on nine runs and 11 hits, moving to 27-13 overall and 12-0 in league play. The Dukes fell to 21-16 and 5-7 in conference games while scoring two runs and recording five hits and two errors.

Payton List led the Dukes at the plate with a 2-for-3 effort. The redshirt freshman also started in the circle and was charged with the loss, pitching 5.0 innings and striking out three batters. Reed Butler smacked her seventh home run of the year and recorded a walk, while KK Mathis and Jasmine Hall finished 1-for-3.

How It Happened
The Dukes loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the first, scoring one run on a double play.

Louisiana responded in the bottom of the first, grabbing a pair of runs on a two-RBI single from Maddie Hayden to take a 2-1 lead.

List looped a single into right, Madison Edwards walked, but JMU did not bring a run home in the top half of the second.

A line-drive homer from the Cajuns extended their lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the second.

A throwing error from the Dukes allowed a Cajuns runner to reach second, eventually scoring on an RBI single from Brooke Ellestad to extend UL’s lead to 4-1.

List picked up her third strikeout to end the home half of the fourth.

The Cajuns brought home two more runs in the bottom of the fifth on a single from Victoria Valdez, cushioning the lead to 6-1.

Butler launched her seventh home run of the season in the top of the sixth, which cut UL’s lead to 6-2.

The Cajuns added three runs to their lead in the sixth to give the home team a 9-2 advantage.

The Dukes loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh on a single from Hall, but a flyout to center ended the game and gave the Cajuns the 9-2 win and series sweep.

Game Notes
Edwards picked up her 21st walk of the season, which leads the team. The true freshman has a 21-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio and owns an OBP of .387 this season.

The Dukes have been swept twice as members of the Sun Belt – both coming at the hands of Louisiana.

The Cajuns finished 5-for-12 (.417) with runners in scoring position compared to JMU finishing 2-for-8 (.250)

List’s 2-for-3 effort pushed her batting average in league play to .378, first on the Dukes. She is also tied for first in hits (14) and leads the team in RBI (7) in league play.

Up Next
The Dukes return to The Valley for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series with Marshall, which will run from April 12-14. The series will also serve as JMU’s Alumni Weekend.

— JMU Athletics —