A three-run home run by Kasey Cooper capped off a four-run, sixth inning for No. 4 Auburn which provided separation for the Tigers in a 6-3 win over No. 11 Louisiana in Game 2 of the NCAA Softball Auburn Super Regional Saturday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field.
The four-run frame broke a 2-2 tie and lifted Auburn (54-9) to the program’s first-ever Women’s College World Series appearance. The Tigers entered Saturday with a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 Super Regional following a come-from-behind 12-11 win in eight innings on Friday.
Louisiana (42-12) saw its 2015 campaign come to a close as the loss eliminated the Ragin’ Cajuns from the NCAA Tournament. The Sun Belt Conference champions ended their season in either the Super Regional round or WCWS for the fourth straight year.
Haley Hayden led all players with a career-high four hits, finishing 4-for-4 at the plate. Lexie Elkins, 2-for-2 at the plate, was intentionally walked in the fourth inning and pitched around in the sixth inning, each time with runners on base.
Alex Stewart (10-2) made her first career NCAA Tournament start in the circle. The sophomore hurler held the Tigers to two runs and five hits over her first five innings of work. Stewart held Auburn hitless in the second and third inning and retired the hosts in order in the fifth inning.
Samantha Walsh led the Cajuns with two RBI coming on a bases-loaded, infield single in the first inning and a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning.
Cooper’s home run produced her game-high three RBI. Lexi Davis (24-2) held the Cajuns to three runs in her complete game effort and played a key role in Auburn turning four double plays.
Louisiana was swept in a Super Regional for only the second time in six appearances (UCLA, 2010). The Ragin’ Cajuns are 6-9 all-time in the Super Regional round with a 2-4 series record.
A double by Cooper, wild pitch, then infield single from Branndi Melero, all with two outs in the top of the first inning, led to the Tigers grabbing a 1-0 lead after a half inning.
The Cajuns answered in the bottom of the first as Hayden (single), Shellie Landry(walk) and Elkins (single) reached in succession to load the bases. Walsh tied the game 1-1 on an infield RBI single to the left side off of Haley Fagan who dived to stop and prevent more runs from crossing.
Davis induced a 5-2-3 double play from Vincent and escaped further trouble later on in the frame when Sara Corbello flied out to the warning track in left field with the bases loaded.
An Elkins RBI single off the center field wall with the bases loaded in the bottom of the second gave UL its first lead of the day. Davis held the Tigers deficit at 2-1 as she induced an infield fly from Walsh and fly out from Vincent, with the bases loaded again, to conclude the inning.
The Tigers drew even in the fourth inning on a bases-loaded RBI ground out from Jenna Abbott.
The Cajuns had an opportunity to break the tie in their half of the fourth. Back-to-back singles by Kelli Martinez and Hayden and an intentional walk to Elkins loaded the bases, but Walsh grounded into an inning-ending 5-3 double play.
Stewart retired the Tigers in order in the top of the fifth. The Tigers prevented a momentum swing by turning their third double play of the game, an inning-ending 6-4-3 sequence on a ground ball from Corbello.
