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Softball: Cajuns Fall in NCAA Regional FinalSoftball: Cajuns Fall in NCAA Regional Final Softball: Cajuns Fall in NCAA Regional Final
The 25th ranked Ragin’ Cajuns saw another successful season come to an end on Sunday as they fell to Houston, 4-1, in the championship game at the NCAA Austin Regional. The Cajuns (51-11) fell victim to two home runs that plated three of the Cougars four runs. Ashley Brignac (32-7) went the distance for the Cajuns to pick up her 27th complete game of the season. At the plate, Nerissa Myers led the Cajuns with two hits and a walk on the day as the Cajuns as a team recorded six hits. Natalie Fernandez also posted two hits for Louisiana. For the third time in four games at the Austin Regional, the Cajuns would fall behind as Houston catcher Haley Outon hit a solo home run in the second inning to put the Cougars ahead 1-0. After stranding a runner in each of the first four innings without scoring, the Cajuns would pull even in the bottom of the fifth inning with one run. Natalie Fernandez led off the inning with a single but was erased on a Katie Smith fielder’s choice. Nerissa Myers and Christi Orgeron would then each single to load the bases with one out for the Cajuns’ lone senior, Gabriele Bridges. Bridges would drive in Smith with a sacrifice fly to right field and pull the Cajuns even at 1-1. The Cougars would retake the lead in the sixth inning when Outon hit her second home run, a two-run shot to left field to put Houston ahead 3-1. Houston added one more in the seventh thanks to two singles and a wild pitch. Missed opportunities plagued the Cajuns all day as they stranded eight runners including five in scoring position. Amanda Crabtree (21-8) picked up the win for Houston (43-16), going the distance while giving up six hits. On the season, the Cajuns set a new Sun Belt and UL record with 481 runs scored. That total is now the tenth highest total in NCAA history. Orgeron wrote her name in the record books as well as she posted 101 RBI, the third highest single-season total in NCAA history. Bridges also wrote her name in the NCAA record books as she hit a new single-season record four grand slams on the season. Her 66 career home runs as place as the 14th most in NCAA history. The Cajuns advanced to their 13th consecutive, and 21st overall, NCAA Regional while capturing their 10th Sun Belt Regular Season Championship and their 11th Sun Belt Tournament Championship. — Ragin’ Cajuns —
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