LAFAYETTE, La. - The Panthers fell to No. 22 Louisiana and Evansville in the last day of the Mardi Gras Classis. The Ragin' Cages beat EIU 14-10 in the ninth inning while the Purple Aces won 11-0 in five innings. EIU falls to 2-3 on the season.

Yesterday's match-up at ULL was postponed in the top of the fifth inning due to heavy rain with Louisiana leading EIU 5-3. Play resumed at 9 am this morning and wasn't short of runs as the teams combined for 24 runs total. EIU was first to strike scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Starting ULL pitcher Carrie Boswell was pulled after walking Kayla Bear and Mady Poulter to open the inning. Haley Mitchell stepped up to the plate and hit a single to right center scoring Bear and advancing Poulter to third base. The Ragin' Cajuns committed two errors in the inning leading to two more runs for the Panthers and they exited the inning up 3-0.

Both teams were held scoreless in the second inning as starting pitcher Michelle Rogers held ULL to only one hit in the first two innings. Louisiana managed to get on the board in the third inning following a triple down the right field line by Aeriyl Mass. Mass eventually scored Louisiana's first run of the game an sparked a four run fourth inning for the Ragin' Cajuns.

In the top of the fourth inning, Louisiana gained a 5-3 advantage over the Panthers. Alissa Dalton opened the inning with a single down the left field line scored off a double to right center from the following ULL batter forcing an EIU pitching change. Jessica Wireman took the mound looking to turn things around, but the Ragin' Cajuns finished the inning with four runs and five hits.

The game was postponed midway through the bottom of the fifth with ULL leading the Panthers 5-3. When play resumed this morning, Maria DeVito set the offensive tone for the remainder of the game as she homered to center field bringing EIU within one.  ULL went on to score four runs in the top of the sixth inning, three of which were unearned. Bear and Taylor Monahan found their way around the bases in the bottom of he sixth inning to score two runs for the Panthers. Poulter was credited an RBI for Monahan's score and Bear took advantage of a wild pitch by ULL pitcher Summer Ellyson.

Both teams scored in the seventh inning. Louisiana put up one run to take a 10-6 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning and needed only three outs to finish the game. Breya Cooper entered the box first for EIU and struck out looking giving ULL one out. Morgan LaMore took to the plate second hitting her first collegiate homerun to center field bring the Panthers within three runs of forcing extra innings. Bear and Monahan scored off a double from Mitchell and Poulter scored the tying run off a throwing error from ULL to force extra innings.

The eighth inning was scoreless for both teams, but Louisiana walked away with a 14-10 win following four hits and four runs in the top of the ninth inning. The Panthers combined for 11 total hits. Monahan led the team with three hits, while Mitchell tallied a team-leading three RBIs.

The Panthers closed out tournament play vs. Evansville following their loss to Louisiana. McKenna Coffman made her first start pitching, while Valerie Thompson and Tori Johnson each saw time on the mound for the Panthers.

Evansville scored their first run in the bottom of the second inning off a homerun from McKenzie Johnson. The Purple Aces carried Johnson's momentum into the third inning and scored ten more runs. Lindsay Renneisen tallied a team-leading four RBIs. Evansville recorded a total seven hits in the game.

Bear and DeVito recorded EIU's only hits in the game.

The Panthers will return to action at the Runnin' Bulldog Tournament Feb. 16-18. EIU will play Creighton to open tournament play on Feb. 16 at 9 am.