University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Gomez Delivers For the Cajuns In Extras Against SLU
2/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2004
LAFAYETTE – Danyele Gomez broke up a tie that had lasted
for the previous six innings when she lifted a home run
into the left field bleachers giving No. 10
Louisiana-Lafayette a 3-2 victory over in-state foe
Southeastern Louisiana in game nine of the 1st Annual
Louisiana's Mardi Gras Classic.Junior pitcher Brooke Mitchell, pitching in relief of UL Lafayette starter Holly Tankersley, tossed six innings of no-hit softball striking out 15 SLU hitters en route to picking up the win in relief.
Mitchell tallied her seventh straight double-digit strikeout game and eighth in nine appearances this season.
She now has 557 career strikeouts which ranks her fourth on the all-time career list ahead of former teammate Melissa Coronado (1999-2002) and Jennifer Clendenin (1993-97).
Gomez ended the game 2-for-5 with two home runs and two of the Cajuns three RBI. The home run was her fourth of the season.
The home run came off of SLU reliever Summer Delaneuville who had tamed the Cajuns bats over the previous six-plus innings after relieving starter Rachael Ray in the third inning after a home run by UL Lafayette's Hillary Guidry gave the Cajuns a 2-0 lead.
Delaneuville had retired the Cajuns in order for the previous two innings of extra play.
Mitchell was even more dominant, striking out 15 of the 19 batters that she faced.
Louisiana-Lafayette (11-1) struck early as Gomez hit her first of two home runs on the day with two outs for a 1-0 lead.
The lead would grow to 2-0 when Hillary Guidry went yard with a leadoff home run in the third inning.
The Lions (5-10) responded with two unearned runs in the bottom half of the third inning.
With one out, Raeni Landry reached on a fielding error by Lacey Bertucci. Bertucci dropped the throw from Tiffany Hebert to allow Landry to reach base.
Karin Smith then followed with a single up the middle that advanced Landry to second. Landry would then round third for the Lions first run when Becky de la Garza dumped a single into left field.
SLU would add one more unearned run with two outs when Hebert fielded a grounder at short and threw it out of Bertucci's range allowing pinch runner Kristen Rogillio to score from third with the tying run.
The Cajuns would have two chances before extras to plate the go-ahead run.
In the sixth inning, Bertucci got a two-out double that missed clearing the right field fence by inches. Pinch hitter Desi Chatman then drew a walk to give the Cajuns two baserunners. However, Hebert flied out to left field to end the rally.
In the seventh, the Cajuns tried the two-out magic once more when Tankersley ripped a double that clanged off of the left center field wall. She would be stranded though as Brittany Bryant lined out to left field for the final out of the inning.
Louisiana-Lafayette returns to action at approximately 7 p.m. against Missouri (2-10). The Cajuns won their season-high, ninth straight contest and 29th straight at home.
UL Lafayette improved to 3-0 in tournament play.
SLU is finished for the day and fell to 2-2 in tournament play. The Lady Lions wrap up their stay in Lafayette on Sunday at 12:15 p.m. in a rematch with Texas Tech (4-11).
-- Mardi Gras Classics --
