Softball – California Dreamin’: UL beats Texas A&M to advance to Super Regional to play UCLA

Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • May 24, 2010

BATON ROUGE — One out away from completing a pitching gem against Texas A&M, UL right-hander Brittany Cuevas took a hard grounder off her right shin in the seventh inning with Melissa Dumezich at the plate.

 

After Dumezich reached on that single, the Ragin’ Cajun infielders briefly huddled around the pitcher’s circle just to make sure Cuevas was fine. Apparently she was, sharing a good laugh with her teammates.

"We were kind of laughing because she got hit in the shin, and she didn’t make the play," UL first baseman Gabriele Bridges said. "That’s what you have to do. You have to laugh off the situations that are out of your control."

Those laughs were quickly replaced by pure elation after Cuevas fanned Macie Morrow for the final out Sunday, sealing UL’s 6-1 win over the 18th-ranked Aggies in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional final.

With the win, the Cajuns (45-16) clinched their second Super Regional appearance in the past three years before 1,642 at LSU’s Tiger Park. They will travel to play No. 5 national seed UCLA (43-11) in a three-game series next weekend with the winner advancing to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

"It was just a wonderful weekend for Ragin’ Cajun softball," UL co-coach Stefni Lotief said. "We came out well-prepared and executed."

A&M (44-16) fell to UL — more specifically, to Cuevas — for the second time in the past three days. After firing a five-hitter against the Aggies in a 5-0 win Friday, Cuevas allowed only one run on four hits Sunday to improve to 22-7 this year and end A&M’s season in front of a largely pro-Cajun crowd.

"We don’t have any excuses," A&M coach Jo Evans said. "We just flat-out got beat by a team that is playing really well. I don’t think the crowd worked against us. We’re used to big crowds.

"But it certainly worked for (UL) and gave them momentum and energy that they really fed on."

The Cajuns got six hits against Dumezich through the first three innings but also stranded seven runners early on the humid day.

The game quickly changed in the top of the fourth when Evans lifted Dumezich for sophomore Rebecca Arbino, who hadn’t thrown in a month.

Arbino walked two of the first three batters she faced before Melissa Verde singled through the right side to drive in the game’s first run for the Cajuns.

Two batters later, A&M freshman catcher Meagan May called for Arbino to throw a rise ball on a 2-2 count against Bridges. The powerful junior promptly walloped a three-run home run onto the berm beyond the left field fence as the Cajuns took a 4-0 lead.

Bridges’ 17th homer of the season provided all of the offense that UL needed to beat a ranked opponent for the third straight day in Baton Rouge. She finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

"I was prepared for whatever was going to come with two strikes," said Bridges, who hit a two-run homer in Friday’s win over A&M and was named the Regional MVP. "I was ready to swing at anything that was close to bring the runs in."

Evans was frustrated that May called for Arbino to throw a rise ball in that situation. Arbino fell to 19-10 after giving up four runs on two hits in one inning of work.

"We have a 2-2 count and Arbino throws a rise ball, which isn’t her best pitch," Evans said. "If you’re going to throw a pitch in there, you better throw your best pitch and also shouldn’t be looking to strike someone out.

"It was just a poor decision."

May got some redemption in the bottom of the fourth, smashing a leadoff blast to left for her Big 12-record 24th homer of the year to narrow the gap to 4-1.

Evans went with Dumezich the rest of the way, but the freshman allowed a pair of two-out, run-scoring hits — Vallie Gaspard’s RBI single in the fifth and Verde’s RBI double in the seventh — in the final three innings.

Besides May’s homer in the fourth, Cuevas kept A&M off the scoreboard for the rest of the day.

Meanwhile, the Cajuns were aggressive at the plate and finished with a 14-4 hit advantage to avenge a 2-1 loss to the Aggies in the 2008 Women’s College World Series.

"I thought they played well and came out attacking the ball from the get-go," Evans said of the Cajuns, who edged 17th-ranked and No. 12 national seeded LSU, 1-0, Saturday to advance to the regional final. "They were a team on a mission. They had great crowd support and gave their fans everything to cheer about."

After Cuevas recorded the final out, the Cajuns made their fans a part of the post-game celebration instead of just doing a traditional dog pile on the field.

One of the most poignant moments featured Cuevas and UL pitcher Donna Bourgeois — two players that rarely show their emotions on the field — flashing huge smiles while sharing an emotional embrace.

The Cajuns then exchanged a few chants with their fans. A group of players later danced in the dugout. They eventually took a victory lap around the field to slap hands with the fans that made the trip to Baton Rouge.

The goal, according to Bridges, was to thank the Cajun fans for taking the time to show up and support the team during the regional.

"Being out here and doing our little Cajun thing is an excited way to show how we love them and how they love us," Bridges said. "Now we’re going to take that same feeling with us out to California."