Softball: Red-hot Cajuns sweep Houston

UL shortstop Nerissa Myers (15) smashes a home run over the scoreboard in right field during the Cajuns’ win over Houston. / Paul Kieu/pkieu@theadvertiser.com

Kevin Foote, The Advertiser, April 18, 2013

UL freshman leftfielder Shellie Landry grew up in the Lafayette area as a huge Ragin’ Cajun softball game.

But as they were honoring former UL softball coach Yvette Girouard prior to Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Houston Cougars, Landry said she didn’t have any memories of the program’s founder.

Landry said, however, it gave her chills as they introduced and honored the “grandmother” of the program and returned to the field in support of the 2013 version of the Ragin’ Cajuns.

It seemed to light a spark to the Cajun hitters as well. The first four hitters homered, doubled twice and singled. The result of a dominating 9-1, 10-5 doubleheader sweep of the Cougars on Wednesday at Lamson Park.

UL is now 32-11 overall before going back to Sun Belt play this weekend at Florida Atlantic, while Houston dropped to 29-14.

“We played well,” UL coach Michael Lotief said. “I think the crowd really energized the team. The atmosphere was great. The festivities and the atmosphere – it was fun to play in.”

It didn’t bring much joy for the visiting Cougars, however. Nerissa Myers started it off by crushing a homer over the scoreboard. That was followed doubles from Brianna Cherry and Matte Haack, as well as an RBI single by Sarah Draheim and a Landry sacrifice fly for a quick 3-0 lead.

Draheim, who battled an illness to play in both games, homered in the third, before UL post five more runs in the fourth. Again it was Draheim with a two-run single, along with Haack’s sacrifice fly and Landry’s RBI single, to power that frame.

That kind of offense was more than enough to support Jordan Wallace, who allowed just one run on two hits, walked three and struck out 10 to improve to 20-6 on the season.

Wallace would only pitch the seventh in the nightcap, however, which meant a combination of Christina Hamilton and Kristin Martinez over the first six.

Hamilton got UL through 2.1 innings and Martinez went 3.2 more, before handing it over to Wallace to finish up.

“We’re still taking baby steps,” Lotief said. “It’s not easy to develop a pitching staff. It may look easy to some, but it’s not easy. The girls are working hard.”

 

Game two didn’t start out nearly as well as the first game for UL when Houston’s Haley Outon smashed a three-run homer for an early Cougar lead.

But UL’s sizzling bats weren’t nearly done just yet. Cherry homered and then Landry followed a walk to Draheim with a two-run homer to tie it in a hurry.

“I feel like all the struggles and adversity we went through early in the season just made us stronger,” Landry said. “Even if we get more adversity, nothing is going to get between us.”

Haack continued her hot hitting in the second with a two-run single to give UL a 5-3 lead. Then the Cajuns threatened to run-rule Houston again with five more runs in the fifth.

Landry was in the middle of it again with a lead-off homer to give her 13 on the season.

“I felt as confident in the box tonight as I have all season long,” Landry said. “Looking back to where I was at the beginning of the season to how I feel right now in the box, it’s not even close. Right now, I’m not letting anything bother me.

“Even when I dropped that fly ball, I didn’t let it bother me.”

Myers got a two-run double on a misplayed fly ball to left, followed by a Cherry RBI single and another RBI double from Haack to give UL a comfortable 10-3 cushion at the time.