Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball Team Ends Oklahoma's NCAA-Record 71-Game Win Streak

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns waltzed into Norman, OK., on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon to face the No. 1-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. This was no ordinary opponent. The Sooners had beaten 71 consecutive opponents before this game - an NCAA record. Surely a 9-11 Louisiana team would be easy fodder for win No. 72.

Right?

Well, not so fast.

Against all odds, the Ragin' Cajuns knocked off the sport's biggest powerhouse in a thrilling 7-5 finish. Despite giving up a 2-run lead in the bottom of the seventh, Louisiana bounced back with three runs in their half of the eighth and held on for a win.

"Oklahoma is such a great ball club, and they’re so well-coached, they’re going to punch you back," Louisiana coach Gary Glasco said after the game. "That’s what I told them, when you get a punch, you can’t stagger, you’ve got to keep throwing (them)."

Pitcher Chloe Riassetto threw punches from the mound all day long. She hurled a complete game for Louisiana, throwing 136 pitches in the process. Her defense came up huge on several occasions, like when left fielder Maddie Hayden made a fantastic leaping catch in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The offense chipped in key moments as well, punishing Oklahoma’s bad defense in the seventh and not wasting a bases-loaded situation.

After the game, Sooners head coach Patty Gasso said that her team made too many mistakes for them to win. 

"From defense, to pitching, to timely hitting, we wasted a lot of time early in the game," Gasso said. "This was a game we didn't deserve to win and we know how to come back. I know there's too much pride on this team for us to mope around over it, we're going to come back and be stronger. We've shown that and we're made like that."

She’s right. A team of Oklahoma’s