GAME ONE
No. 8 Louisiana pushed across three runs in the first three innings and overcame the loss of junior ace hurler Brooke Mitchell in posting a 3-2 series-clinching victory over Florida International here Sunday afternoon at Ragin’ Cajuns Softball Park.
The Ragin’ Cajuns (40-4, 6-0 Sun Belt) got an RBI apiece from Ashley Evans, Bittany Bryant and Joy Webre. Evans had a team-best two hits including an RBI single in the first inning.
The win was the Cajuns third of the series and extended the squad’s win streak to 12 games.
Mitchell picked up her 80th win of her career as she became just the third pitcher in program history to reach 80 wins in a career.
Mitchell (34-3, 0.51 ERA, 410 K) struck out nine FIU batters and allowed four hits in 5 1/3 innings of play. The two runs scored by the Golden Panthers were charged to her, but both were unearned after Lacey Bertucci dropped the throw from shortstop Christine Collins with two outs in the sixth.
Mitchell’s spectacular day took an unpleasant turn in the top of the sixth when FIU’s Jennifer Owens sent a hard line drive back up the middle that struck the right-handed hurler in her forehead just above her left eye. Mitchell was removed from the field on a cart and will not be available to pitch in the second game.
True freshman Heather Bobbitt picked up her first career save, pitching 1 2/3 innings of relief after Mitchell left the game. The Vidor, Texas, native allowed no hits and retired FIU (22-26, 4-3 Sun Belt) in order in the seventh inning.
Louisiana struck first in the opening frame with two runs off of two hits – all with two outs.
Holly Tankersley drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a check-swing ground out by Danyele Gomez. Ashley Evans then hit a bloop single into shallow right center field to score Tankersley for a 1-0 lead.
Two batters later, Webre singled home Evans for the second score of the inning.
UL would add what ended up being an insurance run in the third inning when Bryant singled home Tankersley.
FIU scored two runs in the sixth, both unearned.
Mitchell hit Cindy Turek to lead off the inning. After Jacque Vetters flied out to center field, Owens hit a line drive back up the middle that Mitchell attempted to block.
Bobbitt then came in relief of Mitchell and got Marleah Stapf to ground out for the second out. The Golden Panthers were able to scratch for two runs when Bertucci dropped the throw from Collins on a grounder by Kristen Perry.
Laminack took the loss for FIU, her second of the series, and fell to 13-12 on the season. The senior gave up three runs off six hits and struck out four.
Mitchell was the second starter that Louisiana-Lafayette lost to injury during the game. Starting shortstop Tiffany Hebert left the game in the third inning with a minor leg injury after completing the putout of Turek attempting to steal second base.
Louisiana 3, Fla. International 2
(Apr 18, 2004 at Lafayette, La.)
(Game 1)
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Fla. International.. 000 002 0 - 2 4 1 (22-26, 4-3 SBC)
Louisiana. 201 000 X - 3 6 2 (40-4, 6-0 SBC)
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Pitchers: Fla. International - Laminack. Louisiana - Mitchell; Bobbitt(6).
Win-Mitchell(34-3) Save-Bobbitt(1) Loss-Laminack(13-12) T-2:00
GAME NOTES:
*Cajuns clinch the series
*Brooke Mitchell removed from the game in the sixth inning after being struck in the forehead by a line drive from FIU's Jennifer Owens *Heather Bobbitt picks up her first career save |
*Cajuns extend their win streak to 12 games
-LOUISIANA’S RAGIN’ CAJUNS-
Game 2
LAFAYETTE – Run-scoring doubles off the bats of Brittany Bryant and Lacey Bertucci ignited a three-run fourth inning that sent No. 8 Louisiana to a 3-2 victory over Florida International in the second game of a doubleheader here Sunday afternoon at Ragin’ Cajuns Softball Park.
True freshman Heather Bobbitt, pitching in place of junior ace Brooke Mitchell who left the first game of the twinbill after being hit in the forehead by a line drive, scattered five hits and allowed no earned runs for her first-ever Sun Belt Conference victory.
The win extended the Cajuns (41-4, 7-0 Sun Belt) win streak to 13 games overall and was the 18th straight Sun Belt win at Ragin’ Cajuns Softball Park.
Combined with an identical 3-2 win in game one of the doubleheader, Louisiana completed the four-game sweep of its Sun Belt rivals and created more breathing room in the race for the league’s title.
Bryant delivered the decisive blow in the bottom of the fourth when she lifted a one-out double off the top of the left field wall that scored Danyele Gomez and Ashley Evans for a 2-0 lead.
Gomez started the Cajuns rally in the fourth when she dropped a single into center field for the Cajuns first hit of the contest. Evans was then hit by a pitch from Nealer and Bryant came through with the clutch hit that triggered the Cajuns victory.
Lacey Bertucci picked up the Cajuns other RBI when she ripped a two-out double deep into the right center field gap to score Bryant with the third run of the inning.
For the second straight game the Golden Panthers (22-27, 4-4 Sun Belt) would add two unearned runs in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to 3-2. UL committed two errors in the inning.
Bobbitt would not be denied in the seventh. The Vidor, Texas, native allowed a one-out hit to Tabitha Embry, but struck out leadoff hitter Cindy Turek and induced a routine grounder to shortstop from Jaque Vetters to end the game.
Bobbitt improved to 4-1 on the season with the victory and lowered her earned run average to 0.59.
She stranded six FIU baserunners including working out of a one-out jam in the first inning.
Consecutive one-out singles by Vetters and Jennifer Owens gave the Golden Panthers runners on first and second base. A wild pitch from Bobbitt later advanced them over to second and third.
The right-handed hurler calmly worked her way out of the jam. Marleah Staph hit a grounder to Bobbitt who quickly fired a strike to Joy Webre at home plate for the putout of Vetters attempting to score. Crystal George then tracked down a lazy fly ball off the bat of Kristen Perry for the final out.
Amanda Nealer (7-9) suffered the loss for FIU. The lefthander gave up three runs on four hits and struck out six.
The loss was the Golden Panthers fourth straight and kept them winless all-time at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park (0-11).
Louisiana 3, Fla. International 2
(Apr 18, 2004 at Lafayette, La.)
(Game 2)
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Fla. International.. 000 002 0 - 2 5 0 (22-27, 4-4 SBC)
Louisiana. 000 300 X - 3 4 3 (41-4, 7-0 SBC)
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Pitchers: Fla. International - Nealer. Louisiana- Bobbitt.
Win-Bobbitt(4-1) Loss-Nealer(7-9) T-1:55 A-512
GAME NOTES:
*Cajuns extend win streak to 13 games and complete the four-game sweep
*UL has now won 18 straight Sun Belt games at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park
*Both FIU runs were unearned as two Cajun errors in the sixth prolonged the inning
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Can you say SBC Champions AGAIN!!!!!
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Ladies SWEEP FIU!!
