Softball: Ragin’ Cajuns Complete Sweep of Trojans
LAFAYETTE-Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball team needed two days to complete
game two of the series with Troy and then needed nine innings in game three,
but completed the Sun Belt Conference series sweep on Sunday afternoon at
Alfred and Helen Lamson Ragin’ Cajuns Softball Park.
The Cajuns (31-10, 13-5) concluded game two with a 9-1 mercy-rule victory
before claiming a 4-3 win in nine innings in the series finale. With the
sweep, Louisiana remains atop the Sun Belt Conference standings tied with
Western Kentucky in the loss column.
Christi Orgeron finished the weekend with a .636 batting average, with seven
hits including three home runs, a grand slam, a double and seven RBI.
In the circle for the Cajuns this weekend, Donna Bourgeois and Brittany
Cuevas were nearly perfect. Bourgeois recorded two victories with a 1.08 ERA
on the weekend. She struck out 12 batters in 13.0 innings of work. Not to
be out done, Cuevas fanned 11 batters in 8.0 innings of relief for her win.
She had a perfect 0.00 earned run average.
In the series finale, the Cajuns collected 13 hits, including a pair of home
runs and a double. Lana Bowers and Orgeron both had home runs in the game
and Gabriele Bridges added a double.
GAME 2 RECAP
The Cajuns were leading game two by a score of 3-1 before inclement weather
halted play on Saturday. Upon resuming play on Sunday, UL added six runs in
the bottom of the fifth inning thanks in large part to a grand slam by
Orgeron.
Louisiana scored nine runs in the game on nine hits. The Cajuns were led by
Orgeron who finished the game 3-for-3 with two home runs, including a grand
slam and a double. Orgeron drove in a career-high six runs, while scoring a
pair.
Karli Hubbard also added multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-3 with a run
scored and the game-clinching RBI single in the fifth.
Bourgeois tossed the complete game allowing just two hits and striking out
three. She surrendered a run in the top of the first, but held the Trojans
scoreless for the final four innings.
Troy was the first team to score in the second game. In the first inning,
Bourgeois surrendered back-to-back two-out walks which proved to be costly as
a single to left center field plated a run and saw the Cajuns trailing 1-0
after a half an inning of play.
The Cajuns wasted little in taking a 3-1 lead, scoring three unearned runs in
the bottom of the first inning. Vallie Gaspard started the game with a
leadoff walk. A sacrifice advanced Gaspard to second and a ground ball off
of the pitcher’s leg moved the runner to third base. A throwing error by the
Trojans scored Gaspard from third and allowed Bridges to reach second base.
Orgeron wasted little time plating the runner as she homered to left field.
The home run was her second of the season and first at Lamson Park. After
one complete inning of play, the Cajuns led 3-1.
Both teams were held scoreless in the second inning and the Cajuns kept Troy
off of the scoreboard in the third inning. Louisiana had two outs in the
bottom of the third inning when the game was suspended.
When play resumed, it was all Cajuns. Louisiana Scored six runs in the
bottom of the fifth to win in mercy-rule fashion. The Ragin’ Cajuns loaded
the bases in the fifth inning and Bridges dropped a bloop single into shallow
left center field to plate the first runner of the inning. With the bases
still loaded, Orgeron hit her second home run of the game and her first
collegiate grand slam to increase the Cajuns’ lead to 8-1. Hubbard ended the
game with a single through the right side of the infield to score the final
run of the game.
GAME 3 RECAP
The Ragin’ Cajuns claimed the final game of the three-game series with a nine-
inning marathon that saw UL victorious by a score of 4-3.
The Cajuns pounded out 13 hits including a pair of home runs and a double.
Erikka Murphy made her one hit of the game count as she had the game-winning
RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Orgeron finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI and a home
run. Bowers, Bridges and Gaspard each had multiple hits in the game with
Bowers homering and scoring two runs; Bridges doubling; and Gaspard finishing
the game with three hits.
In the circle, Cuevas picked up the win. The junior worked 8.0 innings in
relief of Bourgeois. Cuevas fanned a season-high 11 batters in the game and
had retired the final 16 batters in order.
In the scheduled game of the day, the Cajuns were the first to score as they
plated a run in the second inning. Bowers hit her fourth home run of the
season to give Louisiana a 1-0 advantage after two complete innings.
Troy took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning. A costly throwing error
by the Cajuns gave the Trojans a runner on second with no outs. A sacrifice
bunt moved the runner over to third. With two outs, Troy used a two-run home
run to take the lead.
The Trojans added a run in the top of the fourth. For the second inning in a
row, an error cost the Cajuns a run. Troy added the unearned run to take a 3-
1 lead.
Louisiana threatened in the bottom of the fourth inning. Bridges led off the
inning with a double to right center field and Orgeron followed with a single
to center field to give UL runners on the corners. A shallow fly ball was
not deep enough to score Bridges from third. A walk loaded the bases, but a
line drive out and a groundout ended the inning without scoring a run.
The Cajuns tied the score in the bottom of the sixth inning. Orgeron started
off the inning with her third home run of the series to cut the deficit to 3-
2. A one-out single by Bowers gave the Cajuns a base runner and a fielding
error by the Trojans gave UL two on with two outs. Vallie Gaspard walked on
four straight pitches to load the bases and set the stage for Hubbard, the
Cajuns’ leader in hits this season. The senior slapped a single through the
left side of the infield to plate Bowers from third and knot the game at 3-
3.
The game went into extra innings and in the bottom of the ninth, Murphy
delivered a two-out bases loaded single for the game winning hit. Bridges
singled to lead off the inning and Orgeron walked to give UL a pair of base
runners. Following an out, Kelly Cormier singled over the third base man’s
head to load the bases for the Cajuns setting up Murphy’s heroics.
The Ragin’ Cajuns resume play on Tuesday as they take on Grambling at Lamson
Park. First pitch is slated for 5:00 p.m.
-www.RaginCajuns.com-
Chris Whitehead
Louisiana Sports Information
201 Reinhardt Drive
Lafayette, LA 70506
(337) 482-6329
www.RaginCajuns.com
whitehead@louisiana.edu
