LAFAYETTE, La. - Louisiana-Lafayette's offense
proved to be too much for the ULM softball team on Saturday afternoon, as they
claimed a pair of run-rule victories at Lamson Park. The Ragin' Cajuns won game
one 9-1, before taking the second contest 11-0.
Louisiana-Lafayette pounded out 21 hits and
successfully completed two double steals, both for runs, on the afternoon to
score a combined 20 runs. ULM's bats were held silent, as it scored just one
run on four hits. The Ragin' Cajuns' wins gave them their third-straight Sun
Belt Conference regular season title and nine out of the last 10 season
championships
Brittany Cuevas pitched a two-hit five inning
contest and Louisiana-Lafayette (38-15, 19-4) scored five runs in the first
inning en route to a 9-1 run-rule victory in the opening game. The Warhawks
scored their only run within the first three outs, but were unable to put more
than one baserunner on base in an inning.
Donna Bourgeois tossed a two-hit performance
in the second game of the afternoon and the Ragin' Cajun offense pushed 11 runs
across the plate between the second and third innings. ULM (21-24, 8-14) was
unable to put more than one baserunner on base in the defeat.
The Warhawks saw four different batters
record a base hit, while Brianna Love and Melissa Rivera each stole a base.
Jessica Olguin recorded a sacrifice hit and Roxy Cassel pushed ULM's only run
across the plate on a sacrifice fly.
Game
One Recap:
Love and Janel Salanoa recorded the Warhawks
only two hits of the contest. Love scored the team's only run and also stole her
13th base of the season in the defeat. Olguin tallied a sacrifice hit and
Cassel hit a sacrifice fly.
Vallie Gaspard led all hitters with three
base knocks in four plate appearances and finished with two runs scored. Lana
Bowers and Nerissa Myers each scored twice and finished a combined 4-for-6 with
three RBIs.
Cuevas (18-6) picked up the win, after
throwing five innings of two-hit ball. She struck out four, walked one and gave
up one earned run.
ULM struck the scoreboard in the opening half
of the first inning when Love scored on Cassel's sacrifice fly. Love led off
the game with a single through the left side, before stealing second and
reaching third on an Olguin sacrifice bunt.
Louisiana-Lafayette responded in the bottom
half of the first inning with five runs on five hits, as it batted around the
order to take a 5-1 lead. The Ragin' Cajuns recorded five singles, two walks
and two fielder's choices in the inning, while also moving the runners on a
wild pitch and a Warhawk fielding error.
The Ragin' Cajuns plated three runs in the
fourth frame to extend their lead to 8-1. In the inning they put together
three-consecutive singles. Gabriele Bridges reached on a walk, advanced to
second on a wild pitch and scored on Myers single up the middle. Later in the
frame Britni Soria laced a two-RBI single to right field.
After a strikeout, Gaspard recorded a single
up the middle and stole second base in the fifth frame. Melissa Verde followed
with a single up the middle to score Gaspard and run-rule the Warhawks by a
score of 9-1.
Kandace Causey (7-9) was tagged with the loss
after allowing eight runs, seven earned, in 3.2 innings in the circle. She
scattered nine hits, walked three and struck out one.
Game
Two Recap:
Cassel and Rivera each tallied a base hit for
the Warhawks on the offensive side of the ball. Rivera also stole her fifth
stolen base of the season in the game.
Erikka Murphy led all batters with a pair of
base hits, while nine other Louisiana-Lafayette hitters tallied a base knock.
Verde drove in a pair of runs and Murphy scored twice and also drove in two
runs. In all, the Ragin' Cajuns stole five bases in the game.
Donna Bourgeois (20-9) pitched a five inning
two-hit performance, to go along with eight strikeouts and one walk in the
victory.
Louisiana-Lafayette recorded four runs after
two outs in the second inning to go ahead 4-0. Murphy tallied a two-out two-RBI
infield single, which pushed Myers and Bridges across the plate. The Ragin'
Cajuns also scored a run on a double steal that scored Kelly Cormier. Murphy scored
the fourth run of the inning on a ULM fielding error.
The Ragin' Cajuns blew the game wide open in
the bottom of the third inning with seven runs to extend their lead to 11-0. In
the frame Louisiana-Lafayette tallied six hits - five singles and a triple - as
it batted around the order twice. In the frame it also successfully completed
two double steals.
Tiffany Mills (7-9) lasted just 2.2 innings
in the circle, before being removed after allowing 11 runs, seven earned, on
eight hits. She struck out two and walked three in the loss.
Heather Fritz and Jessica Chastka combined to
throw 1.2 innings in relief. The two combined to scatter two hits, walk two and
strikeout two.
**
ULM and Louisiana-Lafayette will each finish
its respective regular season on Sunday at 12 p.m. at Lamson Park.
