Softball falls to Louisiana

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The Middle Tennessee softball team's early offense was not enough to top the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns as the Blue Raiders fell 10-4 on Wednesday. Middle Tennessee drops to 13-17, 4-8 in Sun Belt play.

In the loss, the Blue Raiders scored four runs off seven hits with no errors and nine runners left on base. Louisiana had 10 runs off 17 hits, while allowing three errors and seven left on base.

Lindsey Vander Lugt threw all seven innings, striking out seven. She falls to 12-11 on the year.

Kelsey Dortch blasted a solo home run, her third of the season, to right field to tie the game 1-1 in the first. Natalie Ysais would reach as a result of a hit by pitch. Jessica Ives then singled to right to drive home Ysais for her third RBI to give MT a 2-1 lead after one.

Middle Tennessee would add two more runs in the second as Dortch doubled to left, driving home Caitlin McLure from second who had doubled earlier in the frame. Dortch moved to third on a throwing error and scored on a Kaycee Popham single, giving Popham her sixth RBI and putting the Blue Raiders ahead, 4-1.

The Ragin' Cajuns would find their bats in the fifth, scoring five runs off Vander Lugt, including a three run homer by Lana Bowers to put Louisiana up for good.

Ysais was hit by a pitch three times, tying Justine Cerda's single-game mark set in 2006.

The Middle Tennessee softball team will travel to Denton, Texas to play North Texas on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's doubleheader will be begin at 2 p.m. with Sunday's series finale beginning at Noon. Full results and coverage will be available on GoBlueRaiders.com.

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