University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
No. 2 Arizona
No. 2 Arizona's Offense Vaults It Past Cajuns 7-3
3/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Thursday, March 13, 2003
FULLERTON, Calif. – Second-ranked Arizona scored six runs in the first three innings en route to a 7-3 win over Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team here Thursday afternoon in the 2003 KIA Klassic hosted by Cal State-Fullerton at the Titan Softall Complex.
The Wildcats (28-2) took advantage of 13 hits off of Cajuns starter Afton Thoms (Baton Rouge; Central HS) to produce its runs. Meanwhile the Cajuns (14-4) were handcuffed by UA starting pitcher Wendy Allen getting only one hit through the first five innings and three the entire game.
Arizona picked up two runs in the first inning before the first out was recorded. Autumn Champion led off the game with a bunt single and was followed by a perfectly placed bloop single to left field by Courtney Fossatti. The Wildcats would load the bases when Lovieanne Jung reached on a fielding error by Cajuns shortstop Jill Robertson.
Mackenzie Vandergeest then hit a long single to the left center field wall that plated Champion and Fossatti. The runners were held at their respective bases in case Cajuns left fielder Crystal George (Lafayette; St. Thomas More HS) would catch the ball.
Louisiana-Lafayette avoided further damage as Thoms struck out Jackie Coburn and got Allen to fly out followed by a Lisha Ribellia ground out.
The Ragin' Cajuns pulled even with the Wildcats in their half of the first inning when true freshman Danyele Gomez (Metairie; Cabrini HS) lifted a towering two-run home run over the left field fence. Gomez's home run was her team-leading eighth and increased her team-leading RBI total to 23. She is just four home runs shy of tying the school's freshman home run record of 12 set by Alana Addison in 1999.
Gomez's two-run home run also ended Arizona's streak of 12 consecutive games with a shutout. The Wildcats had not allowed a run to an opponent since Feb. 22 in a 13-1 win over Virginia in the Worth Wildcat Invitational.
Robertson (Lafayette; Acadiana HS) led off the Cajuns first inning being hit by a pitch from Allen and was brought home with her 11th run of the season and first of two in the game on Gomez's bomb.
UA answered with three more runs in the top of the second. Once more the Wildcats would load the bases with no outs. Foassatti then singled to left field to put the Wildcats up for good at 3-2. The Wildcats pushed across two more runs on a Jung infield grounder and a Vandergeest sacrifice fly.
Ribellia led off the top of the third with a solo home run to left center field to increase Arizona's lead to 6-2 after three innings. UA's lead grew to 7-2 on Jung ground-rule double RBI in the top of the fifth.
UL Lafayette would threaten in the bottom of the sixth inning. Robertson led off with a double deep into left center. She would then advance to third on a grounder by All-American third baseman Becky McMurtry (North Platte, Neb.; North Platte Senior HS).
Tiffany Grayson (Spring, Texas; Spring HS) would drive in her 17th run of the season and Robertson scored her second run of the game and 12th of the season on the next at bat when Grayson singled to left field that cut the Wildcats lead to 7-3. UA would then switch pitchers as Alicia Hollowell came in to close out the game.
Hollowell retired the Cajuns final five batters as the Wildcats won their 14th straight game. UL Lafayette drops its season-high second straight outing and falls to 0-2 in KIA Klassic pool play. UA moves to 2-0 in pool play.
Thoms (4-1) suffered her first loss of the season and her career. Allen moves to 10-0 on the season for the Wildcats.
Arizona has now won five straight games against the Cajuns and leads the all-time series 10-2. The loss was the Cajuns ninth straight against a ranked opponent dating back to last season.
UL Lafayette will conclude pool play at the KIA Klassic on Friday, March 14 at 11 a.m. (CST) against No. 16 Florida State.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
