Softball: Cuevas Shuts Out Troy, Again

Bobby Neveaux – Sports Information –

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns came inday afternoon’s Sun Belt Conference game trailing the Troy Trojans by one game in the loss column, after Saturday’s doubleheader split. With a win in the rubber match on Sunday the 21^st ranked Ragin’ Cajuns would put themselves in position to win their seventh straight regular season Sun Belt Conference title and claim the number one seed in the SBC tournament.

The Cajuns rode the pitching of Brittany Cuevas and a seven run fifth inning to take care of business and take game three by the score of 8-0 in five innings, ending the game via the mercy rule.

Cuevas, a freshman from Brazoria, Texas, followed up her no-hit performance in game one on Saturday, with a two-hit shutout, improving her season record to 25-7. Cuevas struck out four Trojan hitters in Sunday’s win, and extended her scoreless inning streak to 19.

Cuevas ended her week’s work with three shutout wins as she defeated Houston on Wednesday in a two hitter, 5-0, defeated Troy on Saturday 7-0 tossing a no-hitter and followed up with her 8-0 win on Sunday.

Louisiana improves to 39-13 overall and 10-7 in SBC play. Troy falls to 36-14 and 14-7.

Louisiana took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Troy starting pitcher Michelle Grinage walked two hitters and hit two. Holly Tankersley scored when Codi Runyan was hit by a Grinage pitch.

The Cajuns broke the game wide open in the bottom of the fourth as they sent 13 hitters to the plate and added seven runs to take an 8-0 lead. The big blow of the inning was a Lacey Bertucci grand slam home run to centerfield, her 12^th of the season. Gaspard stared the inning with an infield hit, her second of the game. Karli Hubbard followed with a bunt single. Melissa Verde and Tankersley followed with base on balls plating one run and Bertucci’s grand slam made it 6-0. Adedle Files and Jessica Lemoine added RBI singles in the inning. Runyan and Lana Bowers each had a single in the Cajun seven run fourth.

Troy had two hits in the top of the fifth, but Cuevas forced Brooke Powell to pop up to Cajun catcher, Lana Bowers, to end the game.

The Cajuns will next be in action next Saturday as they travel to Denton, Texas to take on North Texas in an important Sun Belt Conference three game series. Game time for Saturday’s doubleheader and Sunday’s single game is 1:00 P.M.