Softball: UL Upsets No. 12 Michigan, Headlining Day Two of Classic

Box Score: UL vs. Boston University
Box Score: UL vs. Michigan

The Ragin’ Cajuns (11-0) softball team used a huge upset over No. 12 Michigan (10-3), 10-7 and topped Boston University (2-2) 5-1 to stay perfect on the season and improve to 4-0 in the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
 
Ashley Brignac (5-0) started the first game against Boston throwing a complete game, giving up one run, six hits and struck out nine.
 
Jordan Wallce (5-0) earned the win against Michigan hurling five innings and striking out three batters.
 
Katie Smith had herself a day at the plate going 5-for-7 scoring three runs. Matte Haack was 4-for-8 on the afternoon, including a homerun and drove in five runs. Nerissa Myers was 3-for-7 with five RBI and an inside the park two-run homerun, while Brianna Cherry also launched a homerun, her first of the year.
 
GAME ONE
 
The Cajuns saw themselves fall behind in the bottom first inning after being retired in order in the top half. Boston came to the plate and ripped two singles off Brignac to bring Amy Ekart to the box with one away. Ekart doubled to left field to bring in a run making the score 1-0 with runners on second and third with one out. Brignac walked the following hitter before facing Emily Roesch with the bases loaded and just one gone. Brignac induced Roesch into a lazy fly out to Christi Orgeron and snagged a line drive off the bat of Mandy Fernandez to limit the Terrier’s damage to one run.
 
Both squads were sent down in order in the second as UL came to bat in the top of the third. Louisiana used another big third full of two out base hits to regain the lead.
 
Smith pinch hit for Megan Granger with two outs in the inning and reached safely on a bunt single. The next batter, Erikka Murphy, singled to third base as Nerissa Myers stepped in the batter’s box with Smith and Murphy aboard. The junior shortstop sent an outside pitch to left field, doubling to bring in Smith tying the score 1-1.
 
Orgeron came to bat next with what appeared to be Boston attempting to intentionally walk the reigning USA Softball National Player of the Week. The catcher stood up ready to receive an intentional pass, however the pitcher threw the first pitch right now the middle and Orgeron sent the ball to left center for a double, plating both Murphy and Myers.
 
Cherry reached base on an infield single as Haack came to the plate. Orgeron and Cherry both advanced a base on a wild pitch before Haack singled up the middle to give the Cajuns a 5-1 lead going into the bottom of the third.
 
Brignac got herself in a little jam in the bottom half of the third with runners on first and second and one out, but was able to get a groundout to first and struck out the following hitter to end the threat.
 
Louisiana looked as though they may add some runs in the top of the sixth when they loaded the bases with one out, but Murphy and Myers both grounded out as Boston kept the score at 5-1.
 
Brignac got into a rhythm from the third inning on as she ended the ballgame, retiring 14 of the final 15 Boston hitters. 
 
GAME TWO
 
Michigan cracked first as they put up two runs to begin the game on a two-run blast from Ashley Lane to go up 2-0.
 
UL responded in the bottom of the first as Smith led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on fielder’s interference. Myers stepped up next and hit an RBI single single between short and third to score Smith, making the score 2-1. Haack came to the plate three batters later with Orgeron and Cherry aboard and doubled to the right center gap, plating two runs to give the Cajuns a 3-2 lead. Louisiana tacked on their fourth run of the inning as Paige Cormier singled up the middle to score Haack.
 
The Wolverines bats came back alive in the top of the third as Nicole Sappingfield reached on an infield single to set up a two-run blast from Ashley Lane. Lauren Sweet went back-to-back with a solo shot of her own, regaining the lead for Michigan, 5-4.
 
In the bottom half of the third, Myers walked and Orgeron singled to right field to leadoff the inning. Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch before Haack singled through the left side to score Myers. Orgeron came crossing the plate when Cormier followed with another single through the left side to give Cajuns a 6-5 advantage.
 
UM’s Amy Knapp homered to center to tie the score at 6 in the top of the fourth. Michigan manufactured their seventh run as Steph Kirkpatrick reached on a single and was bunted over to second with one out. Kirkpatrick moved to third on an illegal pitch from Wallace and scored on an RBI groundout to second by Bree Evans.
 
UL answered the Wolverines run once again as Smith leadoff the bottom of the fourth with a bunt single to bring up Myers. Myers roped a liner to center, in which the centerfielder dove in an effort to catch the ball and missed as the ball scooter past her to the wall. Myers rounded all of the bases for a two-run inside the park homerun, giving the Cajuns an 8-7 lead. The next batter, Orgeron, doubled down the left field line and was later brought in by another Cormier RBI giving the Ragin’ Cajuns a two-run lead.
 
Cherry hit her first homerun of the year in the bottom of the sixth to left center, adding an insurance run for Louisiana, 10-7.
 
Brignac was inserted in the game for Wallace in the sixth and shut down the Wolverines, retiring six of seven hitters faced earning her the save.
 
UL wraps of its trip at the Leadoff Classic on Sunday with a game against Winthrop. First pitch is scheduled for 9:00 a.m.
 

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