Softball: The Queen B: Bourgeois powers UL to perfect weekend

Brady Aymond • baymond@theadvertiser.com • February 16, 2009

Another day, another two wins.

Another Louisiana Classics, another perfect showing.

The UL softball team capped off its fourth consecutive unbeaten showing in the Louisiana Classics Tournament after sweeping past Nicholls State, 5-1, and McNeese, 11-0, on Sunday to capture the tournament title.

Donna Bourgeois was in the circle for both victories to up her season record to 5-1 with a 0.54 ERA. She struck out 23 in the two games in cruising to Most Valuable Player honors.

Ashley Brignac relieved Bourgeois in the seventh inning of the finale against McNeese, striking out the side to finish her season debut during the weekend with eight strikeouts in three innings of work.

It was the dominant effort Cajun fans were hoping to see after the No. 19 Cajuns (6-2) opened the season by losing two out of three games to Ole Miss.

UL outscored its five opponents 44-5 during the three-day event and found its power at the plate with eight homers.

"This weekend, we took another step," UL coach Michael Lotief said. "Some girls started to feel some success and that’s good.

"I think really the more at-bats that they get and the more situations they get into, the more they’ll continue to improve. These kids are committed to the process."

Bourgeois is obviously committed, as the former Teurlings Catholic standout pitched in all five games and figured into the outcome of all five.

The sophomore went 4-0 on the weekend and even picked up a save as she struck out 36 batters.

"I’m excited that my team feels like they can fall back on me," Bourgeois said. "And I like the fact that I can fall back on my teammates no matter what.

"I’ve definitely grown up a whole lot. And it’s nothing to do with me. People say I have a good work ethic, but I guarantee if it wasn’t for these coaches and teammates I wouldn’t be doing nearly as well as I have."

The Cajuns punctuated a 5-0 tournament run with an 11-0 rout of McNeese on Sunday night. Bourgeois struck out 11 batters and scattered two hits over six innings.

Brignac, who made her debut in a 13-2 win over Providence on Saturday, worked a perfect seventh – striking out all three batters – to cap off the game.

At the plate, the Cajuns remained red-hot, as Gabby Bridges, Melissa Verde and Codi Runyan all homered in the win over the Cowgirls.

The trio combined for all eight of the homers UL hit during the weekend and drove in 24 runs.

"We did really good. We came out here and executed what we needed to do," said Verde, who made the all-tournament team after going 7-for-15 with two homers and 10 RBIs. "I guess it’s from our team, we all do good and feed off each other. One of us does something and we just keep it going through the lineup."

Bridges also went 7-for-15 in the tournament with a tournament-best four homers and 11 RBIs to join Verde on the all-tournament team.

Karli Hubbard (8-of-14, 7 runs), Vallie Gaspard (5-of-15, triple) and Katie Smith (5-of-13, 7 runs, 6 SBs) also made the all-tournament team for UL.

"From the media’s perspective, it’s easier to pick out a kid or pick out the numbers," Lotief said about the big offensive numbers for the Cajuns. "That’s what you have to do, you have three paragraphs to sum up the story.

"But in that locker room, it’s all about us and all about team. It’s all about how hard they fight together. In the end, that’s going to determine our success or failure. It’s not going to be one person, one hitter, one pitcher, it’s going to be all of us."

The Cajuns will return to action next weekend as they play host to the fifth annual Mardi Gras Invitational at Lamson Park.