South Alabama came tantalizingly close to snapping a nine-year losing streak to Louisiana at Jaguar Field on Saturday, but the Ragin’ Cajuns once again proved why they continue to rule the Sun Belt Conference in softball.

The Ragin’ Cajuns won the first two games — including one suspended in the seventh inning on Friday due to weather — 3-2 and 6-2 to lock up their 82nd consecutive conference series victory. The Jaguars led by two with two outs in the seventh inning of Game 3, however, with a chance to beat Louisiana for the first time since the 2015 Sun Belt tournament championship game.

That’s when pinch-hitter Jourdyn Campbell blasted a game-tying, two-run homer to help send the game into extra innings. Louisiana (18-12, 3-0 Sun Belt) then poured on 13 runs in the eighth to win 15-3 for their 26th straight victory over the Jaguars (14-11-1, 0-3).

Louisiana 3, South Alabama 2 (Game 1)

The Ragin’ Cajuns scored three times in the third and then hung on in the seventh to win a series opener that was suspended nearly 24 hours by weather.

Sam Roe’s 2-run homer and Brooke Ellestad’s RBI single gave Louisiana a 3-0 lead. Ragin’ Cajuns pitcher Sam Landry held the Jaguars to just one hit before lightning and rain suspended the game with one out in the top of the seventh.

South Alabama’s Olivia Lackie worked out of a first-and-third, one-out jam in the seventh, setting up her team’s near-comeback in the bottom of the inning. After Sasha Willems, Olivia Branstetter and Shelby Garrett loaded the bases on a single, a hit-by-pitch and a walk, Odalys Cordova and Gracie Tentiger delivered back-to-back sacrifice flies to pull the Jaguars within one.

With pinch-runner Makayla Capaldi on third as the tying run, pinch-hitter Sidney Lee grounded to first to end the game. The Jaguars managed just two hits, including Gabby Stagner’s one-out double in the first.

Landry went the first six innings to get the win, while Riasetto got the final three outs for her second save. Lackie took the loss, going the distance despite appearing to injure her left ankle in warm-ups prior to the the fourth inning.

Louisiana 6, South Alabama 2 (Game 2)

The Ragin’ Cajuns clinched the series by scoring two in the first, one in the third and three in the sixth against three Jaguar pitchers.

Alexa Langeliers had three hits and an RBI for Louisiana, while Ellestad knocked in two. Roe had a two-run single in the sixth, in which the Ragin’ Cajuns had five of their 12 hits.

Landry again got the start and went the first three-plus innings, with Riasetto (6-2) going the final four to get the win. South Alabama starter Madison Lagle (1-3) was charged with the loss, allowing three runs in two innings.

Marley Sims’ RBI single pulled the Jaguars within 3-1 in the third, but Willems lined into an inning-ending double play with two on to end her team’s most-serious threat. South Alabama’s other run came in the seventh, when pinch-hitter Brooklyn Bockhaus tripled to right field and came home on Bailey Welch’s single.

Louisiana 15, South Alabama 3 (Game 3)

South Alabama scored twice in the third on Stagner’s sacrifice fly and a Louisiana error, and were riding shutout pitching by Lackie into the seventh.

However, Ellestad doubled with one out to bring the tying run to the plate. One out later, Campbell ripped an 0-1 pitch over the left field wall to begin the Ragin’ Cajuns’ improbable comeback.

South Alabama had a chance to win it the bottom of the seventh, putting runners on the corners with one out. But Landry — who worked four scoreless innings to get the win and improve to 9-5 — got out of the jam with a strikeout and an infield pop-up to send the game to extras.

The Ragin’ Cajuns then turned the game into a laugher, sending 17 batters to the plate and scoring 13 times on 11 hits, two hit batters and two fielder’s choices that failed to produce outs. Laney Credeur’s RBI single gave Louisiana the lead for good, while Langeliers added a 2-run double, Victoria Valdez a 2-run single and Mihyia Davis, Maddie Hayden, Credeur and Roe all scored twice.

Seven of the Louisiana runs were charged to Lackie, who falls to 10-5. Ryley Harrison, Madison Lagle and Tori Miller also saw action in the circle during the seemingly interminable eighth inning.

South Alabama did get one run against Louisiana reliever Denali Loecker in the eighth. Stephanie Gonzalez led off with a double and came home on Bockhaus’ RBI groundout.

South Alabama does not play a mid-week game next week, traveling to Louisiana-Monroe for a three-game Sun Belt series beginning Friday.