Softball: Senior Day Special

Kevin Foote, The Advertiser, April 29, 2013

Nerissa Myers had talked to former UL teammate Gabby Bridges earlier in the week about her final home game at Lamson Park.

Bridges reminded Myers that she went 4-for-4 in that game and almost challenged Myers to create a special memory of her own.

Prior to UL’s 7-2 win over Troy on Sunday, Myers and her teammates heard UL coach Michael Lotief remind them that fairy tales can’t just be ordered up on demand … even in such storybook-type situations like Senior Day with family and friends filling the stands.

Lotief‘s warning seemed well-founded.

But on this Sunday afternoon at Lamson Park, it almost looked like they were.

Shortly after all five UL seniors and their families enjoyed Senior Day recognition, Myers finished off the bottom of the second with a three-run home run.

In the sixth, she added a two-run double. One batter later, senior catcher Sarah Draheim hit a two-run homer to right and then ended the game by throwing out a baserunner at second.

“It (felt) really good,” Draheim said. “It was definitely a good way to end it.”

Making the day even more special for Myers’ family and friends is that each time Myers did something big, her cousin – centerfielder Brianna Cherry – followed suit.

After homering in the second, Cherry nearly made it back-to-back with a double off the fence in right. Then after Myers’ two-run double in the sixth, Cherry lined a single, ironically to centerfield, to set up Draheim’s two-run homer.

“They were working me outside, so I was just trying to stay inside the ball,” Draheim said.

That strategy of working UL’s top hitters away was also attempted against Myers, but it backfired in the second inning.

“The whole weekend, they were trying to throw me away,” said Myers, who finished the game 3-for-4 with a double, a homer and five RBIs. “Then she ended up throwing me a change-up, so because my body was already set up away, I was able to stay on it better.”

Cherry finished 2-for-3 and Matte Haack walked twice and was hit by a pitch. The fifth senior, Megan Waterman, walked and scored ahead of Myers’ homer.

“Usually the game doesn’t do that,” Lotief said. “It is fitting, though. I’m so glad the game rewarded those girls. They’re such good kids. They’ve done things the right way on and off the field. Good for them.

“I really think they’re all ready for life. They love one another and support one another.”

While many were assuming the Cajuns – now 27-11, 16-4 and riding an 18-game winning streak – would easily sweep Troy, the Trojans made things interesting in the third when Hannah Renn followed a two-out single by Caitlin Ortiz with a two-run homer to narrow UL’s lead to 3-2.

UL’s ace pitcher Jordan Wallace naturally struck out the next batter to end the inning and would only allow one hit and one walk the rest of the way.

Before her day ended, the sophomore right-hander had thrown a five-hitter with two walks and 13 strikeouts.

“I know a lot of people think they were just going through the motions, but they were a little uptight,” Lotief said. “They were trying to force things to make things happen. You have to just let the game come to you.”

On this day for these seniors, it did just that.