PREVIEW: GS Softball Jaunts To No. 22 Louisiana For Sun Belt Action
4/20/2018 2:00:00 PM | Softball
Eagles will take on the nationally-ranked Ragin' Cajuns beginning Saturday in a key Sun Belt series
The Eagles (23-20, 7-11 SBC) will take on UL (29-11, 14-4 SBC) in a 3 p.m. ET doubleheader on Saturday, then wrap up the series with a Noon ET contest on Sunday. Louisiana leads the overall series between the two teams, 10-1, and won all three games in last season's series in Statesboro.
Louisiana represents the fourth different nationally-ranked team Georgia Southern has faced, with all the meetings coming on the road. The previous three nationally-ranked foes were all road trips at SEC schools - and the Eagles have gotten progressively better in each matchup. GS was the victim of a perfect game by then-No. 1 Florida's Kelly Barnhill in a five-inning 8-0 loss to the Gators on Feb. 25. The Eagles lost a 10-3 seven-inning affair at No. 7 Georgia on March 21st, but then had the tying run at the plate in the seventh inning of a 5-2 loss at No. 12 South Carolina on April 4. In the 33-year history of fastpitch softball for Georgia Southern, the Eagles have never beaten a nationally-ranked team on the road.
Last time out, the Eagles defeated Jacksonville, 4-1, behind freshman Allyssah Mullis' two hits and three RBIs. Mullis has been outstanding this week at the plate, going six-for-14 with four doubles, a home run and six RBI. She is now tied for fifth in the Sun Belt in doubles with nine, and her seven home runs are tied for second on the team.
Louisiana notched a 5-3 non-conference win over McNeese State on Wednesday, giving the Ragin' Cajuns a three-game winning streak. Louisiana took the last two games of their Sun Belt series with conference-leading Texas State last weekend, and sit percentage points behind the Bobcats for first place in the league standings. Summer Ellyson (15-6, 1.71 ERA) paces the pitching staff, while Alissa Dalton is the third-leading hitter in the Sun Belt Conference with a .400 average.
All three games will be webcast via RaginCajuns.com and live stats will also be available for all three games.
