Softball: Cajuns Top Winthrop, Finish 5-0 in Leadoff Classic

Box Score

The Ragin’ Cajuns softball team finished the weekend with a perfect 5-0 record after a 6-1 victory over Winthrop (5-8) on Sunday afternoon at E.C. Moore Softball Complex in Clearwater, Fla.
 
Jordan Wallace started the game in the circle for UL (12-0) hurling three innings, while giving up one run. Ashley Brignac (6-0) came in to relive Wallace in the fourth tossing four innings of shut out ball to earn the win.
 
Paige Cormier was 2-for-2 on the day and drove in one run. Katie Smith and Erikka Murphy each drove in a run apiece.
 
After striking out the first batter of the game, Wallace got herself into a jam walking the next two batters bringing up the cleanup hitter with one out and two on. Winthrop’s Chelsey Schoenfeldt ripped a single to right field bringing in a run as the visitors went ahead 1-0. Wallace threw a wild pitch to the next batter advancing the runners to second and third but was able to strike out Melanie Andrea and induce Alex White into a fly out to prevent any further damage.
 
Louisiana threatened in the bottom half of the first when Christi Orgeron doubled and Brianna Cherry drew a walk with two outs, but were unable to produce anything as Matte Haack popped out to first to end the frame.
 
The Eagles put two runners on in the second, but Wallace denied their scoring bid striking out McKenzi Corn to end the threat.
 
Cormier led off the bottom of the second with a single and was followed by Sarah Draheim also singled and advance to second on a throwing error by the right fielder as the Cajuns had something rolling with runners on second and third and nobody out. Two batters later, Erikka Murphy was credited with an RBI groundout scoring Cormier, tying the score 1-1.
 
Brignac came in to relieve Wallace in the top of the fourth and wiggled her way out of a two out jam by forcing a foul out by Winthrop leadoff hitter, Megan Chapman, stranding runners at first and second.
 
The Cajuns loaded the bases in the bottom part of the fourth for Smith with one out. The senior singled up the middle bringing in Cormier and Fernandez scoring as well on a fielder error by the center fielder, giving UL their first lead of the ballgame, 3-1.
 
In the fifth, the Eagles produced back-to-back singles to bring Schoenfeldt to the plate with no one out. Schoenfeldt ripped a line drive that was caught by Cormier and the senior flipped the ball to Nerissa Myers at second to double-off the runner. Brignac struck out the five hole hitter to end the top half.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Haack doubled to left center putting her in scoring position. Cormier came to the plate next and singled to right field as Haack crossed home plate making the score 4-1.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns successfully completed a double steal in the bottom of the sixth with Orgeron on first and Myers on third to give them another insurance run. Orgeron later scored on a wild pitch to up the Louisiana lead to 6-1.
 
Brignac retired the side in order in the top of the seventh to secure the win for the Cajuns.
 
Louisiana returns to action next weekend March 2-4 as they play host to the 2012 Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational. UL will be joined in the tournament by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Kentucky, Nicholls State, and Stephen F. Austin.
 

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