Softball: Cajuns prove tough enough

UL softball team overcomes injuries, blanks Houston in doubleheader

Steve Peloquin • Special To The Advertiser • March 31, 2010

LAFAYETTE — All sports teams have to overcome injuries at one point or another. It’s all part of the game.

When it comes to Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajun softball team however, they’re having to overcome their fair share of injuries, and then some.

Playing without outfielder Christi Orgeron (illness) and second baseman Britni Soria (hand injury), who were added to the MASH unit, the Cajuns swept a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday at Alfred & Helen Lamson Ragin’ Cajun Softball Park, shutting out the Houston Cougars in consecutive games, 6-0, 4-0.

"I’m proud of the way this team played, amid a lot of adversity," said UL co-head Michael Lotief. "We pitched well, we came through with some clutch hits, and our defense is starting to come around."

The Cajuns scored first in the opener, as Lana Bowers, starting in right-field for the first time in her career, singled to start the second inning off Houston starter Bailey Watts. She came around to score on back-to-back-to-back walks to Sarah Draheim, Nerissa Myers, and Kelly Cormier, giving UL a 1-0 lead.

Bowers came up big in the third, throwing out Ashley Jones at the plate to end a Cougar scoring threat.

Later, Bowers was part of a four-run Cajun fifth, driving home two runs, to extend the lead to 5-0.

The Cajuns added an insurance run in the sixth, and that was more than enough for starter Brittany Cuevas, who threw the first seven-inning shutout for the team since Feb. 13, allowing six hits and one walk, while fanning six, and picking up her 11th win of the year.

"I felt pretty good out there, but my teammates really helped pick me up," said Cuevas. "We know that we have to go out and fight every game if we’re going to win, and we did that in both games tonight."

Gabrielle Bridges got the Cajuns off to another quick start in the nightcap, blasting a three-run homer over the left-centerfield fence off of Cougar starter Baillie Lott, to make it 3-0.

The Cajuns added an unearned run in the fifth to make it 4-0.

That was all Donna Bourgeois needed, as the junior silenced the Houston bats all game, allowing only four hits and two walks, picking up eight strikeouts, while recording her 10th win of the season.

"Brittany and I talked a little about the pitching having to step up our games with all the injuries, but everybody has confidence in everyone else," said Bougeois. "Our overall mentality is that everybody is as equally as big of a part of the team as anyone else, and our team chemistry is really strong because of that."

 

The back-to-back doubleheader sweep was a first for the Cajuns since April 14th of 2009 (FAU).

"I really have to give credit to both Donna and Brittany," said Lotief. "They went back to work, corrected some things, and it looks like it has paid off."

With the illness to Orgeron, along with the injury suffered by Soria, the Cajuns were playing without five potential starters against Houston.

"I haven’t been through anything like this in my 30 years around softball," said Lotief. "It’s really been bizarre, but this team has battled and fought really hard all year. We’ve played some ugly softball at times, but we still never lost confidence, and the kids never stopped working hard."

With the two wins, the Cajuns extended their win streak to five games, and moved to 21-11 on the year, while Houston dropped to 21-11.

"We need to continue to keep pitching well, and our defense, which has really improved, needs to stay consistent," said Lotief. "We also need to find somebody that’s going to step up for us over the next couple of weeks, offensively."