Cajuns Edged by Team USA in Rematch, 2-0

SULPHUR, La.-Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns step out of conference play for an
exhibition game with the world’s best team and dropped a 2-0 decision to the
United States Olympic Team.  The Cajuns and Team USA met in front of 4,162
fans – the largest crowd of the KFC Bound 4 Beijing Tour. 

In their rematch of their game in Fullerton, Calif., Louisiana and Team USA
did not disappoint.  Team USA received a perfect game from Jenny Finch
(Arizona) who was playing a homecoming of sorts.  Finch’s husband Casey
Daigle, a pitcher in the Minnesota Twins organization, is from the Sulphur
area.  Finch did not allow a Cajuns batter to reach base as she fanned 10. 
Finch had at least one strikeout in each inning and retired the side on
strikes in the fifth.

The Cajuns used a pair of pitchers in the game.  The duo of Ashley Brignac
(River Ridge, La.) and Donna Bourgeois (Lafayette, La.) combined for seven
innings of work.  Brignac pitched the odd number innings, while Bourgeois
worked the even number of innings.  Brignac took the loss in the exhibition
allowing just two unearned runs on four hits.  Bourgeois did not allow a hit,
but saw two players reach on errors.  Neither Cajuns pitcher allowed a walk
in the game. 

In 16 total innings of play against Team USA, the Cajuns have allowed just
three runs with all three runs being unearned. 

In the first inning, the Cajuns retired Team USA in order.  Caitlin Lowe
(Arizona), a slap hitter, brought the bat back and swung away.  Her drive to
left field was played perfection as left fielder Katie Smith (Ruston, La.)
moved only one step to her right to record the first out of the inning. 
Brignac matched Finch’s first inning strikeout with a K of her own.  A ground
ball to Vanessa Soto (San Diego, Calif.) ended the inning, retiring the
Olympic Team in order.

Bourgeois got the ball in the second inning.  Two ground balls retired the
first two Team USA batters, before an error gave either team their first base
runner.  The runner advanced no further than first base as a ground ball back
to Bourgeois ended the inning, leaving the score at 0-0 after two innings of
play. 

The Ragin’ Cajuns survived a scare in the bottom of the third inning. 
Lovieanne Jung (Arizona) led off the inning with a base hit to right field. 
A sharp hit off the tip of Brooke Brodhead’s (Lafayette, La.) glove by Laura
Berg (Fresno State) gave Team USA runners on first and second with no outs. 
Lowe moved the runners with a sacrifice bunt back to Brignac.  Natasha Watley
(UCLA) hit a rocket back to Brodhead at short.  Brodhead looked the lead
runner back to third before recording the second out of the inning.  Brignac
fanned Jessica Mendoza (Stanford) to end the inning and preserve the shutout.

The US National Team broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth
inning.  Tairia Flowers (UCLA) led off the inning with a single through the
left side of the infield to begin the inning.  Jung followed with a single to
left field.  A short fly ball retired the first batter of the inning and kept
the base runners from advancing.  Lowe followed with ground ball to third
base.  Melissa Verde (Beaumont, Texas) quickly flipped the ball back to
Brodhead covering at third base to retire the lead runner.  The Cajuns were
almost out of the inning, but a costly error not only extended the inning but
allowed the speed on the bases to come around to score giving Team USA a 2-0
edge.

The Cajuns pitching kept the Olympic Team off the board in the sixth inning,
allowing just one base runner on and error. 

The Ragin’ Cajuns softball team returns to action on Wednesday, Apr. 23, as
they return to Sun Belt Conference play.  The Cajuns square off with North
Texas in a three-game conference series beginning with a doubleheader on
Wednesday at Alfred and Helen Lamson Ragin’ Cajuns Softball Park.  The
doubleheader is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. with a single game starting at 1:00
p.m. on Thursday, Apr. 24.

-www.RaginCajuns.com-

Chris Whitehead
UL-Lafayette Sports Information
201 Reinhardt Drive
Lafayette, LA 70506
(337) 851-2255
www.ragincajuns.com
whitehead@louisiana.edu