It didn’t really require a miracle. It just felt that way.
One night after getting shut out in the Sun Belt series opener, the visiting Troy Trojans stunned the No. 17-ranked UL Ragin’ Cajuns by taking a seven-run lead in the middle of the second inning in game two Friday at Lamson Park.
“I was thinking, ‘Don’t get mad and act silly’,” UL coach Gerry Glasco said. “If we’re going to lose the 88-series streak and tonight’s the night, act classy doing it.
“Let’s just trust our talent and maybe a miracle will come, and a miracle came.”
Indeed, his Ragin’ Cajuns scored nine runs over the next three innings to seize an impressive 11-7 victory over the Trojans.
The win improved UL to 39-16 overall and 21-2 in Sun Belt play, while Troy dropped to 33-20 and 13-10.
“We woke up,” Glasco said. “Thankfully we woke up.”
The Cajuns must now win at noon Saturday to extend the Sun Belt series winning streak to 89.
“That’s definitely not how we wanted to start the game, but that’s OK,” sophomore shortstop Cecilia Vasquez said. “We all had each other’s back.
“There was probably some discouragement after the six runs they put up and even the seventh, but after we got in the second inning and the home run and just having each other back, I think we kind of knew.”
The first inning was simply stunning.
Very quickly, Jade Sinness and D’Aun Riggs singled ahead of an error to set up Libby Baker’s grand slam for a 4-0 lead. Later in the inning, Sarah Beth Brake crushed her second homer of the series with a two-run shot for a 6-0 cushion.
Chloe Riassetto only retired two batters in the frame.
Then in the second, Taylor McKinney singled with one out and scored on Anslee Finch’s RBI single to left off UL reliever Denali Loecker for a commanding 7-0 lead, or so it seemed at the time.
“That was huge,” Glasco said of Loecker’s outing. “We’ve had Denali to get ready for a month now and she was ready. She was fantastic. We saw that against Texas, she’ll dog it out there on the mound. She’s going to go out there and fight and be a warrior.”
Loecker did a fine job of cooling off Troy’s red-hot bats, only allowing that one run over 2.2 innings.
“I think it’s just like taking control of your opportunity,” Loecker said. “We know our defense is going to have our backs, so just kind of pitching into the defense.
“I’m more of a down-ball pitcher, so just going out there and getting ground balls. They were hitting a lot in the air, so I was just attacking the low part of the zone and getting them to ground out.”
The Cajuns’ crazy comeback began humbly enough in the bottom of the second. Sam Roe led off with a single and two outs later, Vasquez hit a two-run homer to left to trim Troy’s lead to 7-2.
“We were just trying to go one hitter at a time, kind of pass the bat,” Vasquez said. “I felt good yesterday, so I was feeling confident. I felt good in the box and got barrel, just right to someone on the ground. So we all worked hard this morning trying to get that drop ball up. That’s what I was trying to do.”
Then came a five-run rally in the third to tie it.
Mihyia Davis singled and Laney Credeur was hit by a pitch to set up Roe’s two-run double to rightcenter. After a passed ball and ground out got two more runs home, Victoria Valdez homered to rightcenter to tie the game at 7-all. “Cissy Vasquez was huge and Vic Valdez was huge,” Glasco said. “Two sophomores continue to lead. It’s really fun to watch.”
The Cajuns then took their first lead with two more runs in the fourth. Kayla Falterman led off with a double to left and was driven in by Maddie Hayden’s single to left. After a throwing error chased Hayden to third, Credeur’s ground out incredibly gave the Cajuns a two-run cushion at 9-7.
“It was kind of scary coming into the game – the 88-series winning streak – got to uphold that,” Vasquez said. “The first loss didn’t feel great, but we know we can do it.”
Hayden finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, including a run-scoring single in the two-run sixth.
“Just going out there and getting the opportunity was awesome,” Loecker said. “It (comeback) was awesome. Having that experience for postseason is going to be amazing.”