BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
It was a high stakes gamble, one that will undoubtedly be replayed often by Gerry Glasco.
The only thing separating success and failure of the sixth-inning decision by Glasco to send Louisiana shortstop Cecilia Vasquez on a scoring attempt from second base was the accuracy of a throw from Baylor center fielder Taylor Strain.
Instead of Louisiana tying the score at four, Baylor catcher Sydney Collazos took the overhand laser toss directed towards the plate from Strain and tagged out a sliding Vasquez.
The Louisiana softball team never recovered after that play as Baylor advanced to a NCAA Super Regional Tournament in Gainesville, Fla. by defeating the Cajuns 4-3 on Championship Sunday.
Tournament host Louisiana had to fight back through the loser’s bracket to reach the final tournament game.
Baylor defeated the Cajuns 8-0 in a five-inning Saturday afternoon contest, but Louisiana subsequently defeated Princeton 2-1 later that night and then won the Sunday opener over the Bears 13-0, forcing the winner-take-all final game.
Louisiana, ranked No. 22 nationally and seeded 13th in the NCAA Tournament, ended the 2024 season 45-19. Baylor is 35-21.
Championship Game Highlights
Glasco said afterward that he felt the Cajuns had a chance to score on the Maddie Hayden base hit that Strain fielded on one hop and then fired directly to Collazos.
“It was a great play, one of those bang-bang plays where I thought we had a chance to score. When you get a chance to score like that late in the game, you always want to be aggressive. I thought there was a chance the throw might be offline. I knew it was going to be really close and I thought she would make it. I just misjudged it,” Glasco said.
“That throw had to be perfect. I didn’t think we had a shot at it, but the ball got to (Collazos) at the plate,” said Baylor head softball coach Glenn Moore.
Collazos agreed.
“The throw was right on line. (Strain) set me up perfectly (for the tag),” Collazos said.
Baylor and the Cajuns were tied at two after three innings. The Bears’ scores came on solo home runs by leadoff batter Emily Hott in the first and Collazos who sent the ball over the leftfield fence in the third.
The Cajuns grabbed a 2-1 lead in the first off Rylee Crandall who gave up an unearned run and walked two, hitting a batter, allowing a single to Laney Credeur.
Louisiana regained the lead (3-2) in the bottom of the third off singles by Victoria Valdez, Alexa Langeliers and Brooke Ellestead.
However after that inning Crandall retired six straight and allowed only three singles during the final four innings.
Louisiana starter Chloe Riassetto gave up two Baylor home runs, was pulled for reliever Sam Landry in the second and then returned to finish the game.
Landry, who was the losing pitcher, gave up five hits and two earned runs in the fifth when the Bears produced four base hits.
Looking Forward
The Cajuns had only one senior on the 2024 roster. Louisiana had 11 juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen this season.
“I couldn’t be more proud of my team this weekend. We (lost) on Saturday and then we had to come back and win Saturday night. We put together a great effort (in the Sunday game against Baylor) and now we’re right on plan,” said Glasco.
Risassetto was the winner in the Sunday opener against Baylor, giving her three wins in the four tournament games. Crandall had two victories over Louisiana.
Glasco praised the three-day effort from Riassetto and said the regional was a learning experience for the Cajuns.
“We are going to come back and be more experienced and more focused,” Glasco said.
