UL Softball Falls to UTA in Middle Game of Series

If the Sun Belt Conference series win streak is going to continue for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, they'll need to get a win on Sunday.

15th-ranked Louisiana fell to the UTA Mavericks, 8-3, in the middle game of a three-game, weekend, Sun Belt Conference series in Arlington, Texas on Saturday.

With the setback, coupled with their 9-6 win over UTA in the series opener on Friday night, the Cajuns need to win the series finale to extend their Sun Belt Conference series win streak to 57, a school and Sun Belt Conference record, as well as the longest current conference win streak in the nation.

Louisiana has not dropped a conference series since the weekend of St. Patrick's Day in 2013.

Louisiana got on the scoreboard first, scoring a run in the top half of the first inning, to take a quick 1-0 lead.

For there, it was all pretty much UTA, as the Mavericks scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning, before plating five runs in the bottom half of the second inning, which gave them a 7-2 advantage.

The Cajuns could not bounce back, as UTA went on to the 8-3 victory.

UTA, who outhit Louisiana, 9-7, was led at the plate by KJ Murphy, who went 2-for-4, with three runs scored, and a run batted in, while Courtney Ogle had two hits and an RBI.

In a losing cause for Louisiana, Ciara Bryan doubled and drove home a run.

JoJo Valencia (1-1) recorded the win in the circle for the Mavericks, allowing three runs on five hits over 3.2 innings of workl.

Summer Ellyson (5-4) suffered the loss for the Cajuns, allowing 8 runs on 8 hits over 5.2 innings.

View the game box score.

With the victory, UTA improved to 4-16, overall, and 1-4 in Sun Belt Conference play, while Louisiana fell to 14-6, and 1-1, respectively.

The two teams square off on Sunday in the series finale and rubber game of the series, with first pitch scheduled for noon.