University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Long Beach State
Long Beach State Hands Cajuns Heartbreaking Loss
3/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Thursday, March 13, 2003
FULLERTON, Calif. – Victory was ripped from the hands of Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team in its opening game here at the 2003 KIA Klassic hosted by Cal State-Fullerton as Long Beach State University used a two-out, two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning to turn a 1-0 Cajuns lead into a 2-1 49ers win.
LBSU (10-13) stole the game with a bases loaded, two-out grounder to short that was fielded by Cajuns shortstop Jill Robertson who attempted the force out at second but LBSU's Kristina McCarty was ruled safe allowing the tying run to score. UL Lafayette second baseman Brittany Bryant hesitated with the throw after the play at second and could not make a play at home in time as 49er shortstop Jamie Farnworth rounded third to score the winning run.
The Cajuns (14-3) had been in control the entire game as pitcher Brooke Mitchell only allowed one hit through the first six innings. In fact, the 49ers only had two baserunners in the game prior to the seventh-inning rally.
The 49ers rally started with a one-out double to center field by Roxanne Staniorski. Staniorski lifted a high fly ball to center that UL Lafayette's Tiffany Grayson was unable to catch on the dive. The 49ers would receive another baserunner on the next at bat when Farnworth singled through the left side of the infield to put runners at the corners.
Mitchell appeared to be out of trouble as she struck out her eighth batter of the game when LBSU pitcher Meredith Cervenka went down swinging. However, she would hit the next batter (McCarty) to load the bases. That's when designated hitter Melissa Backstrom hit the grounder to short that propelled the 49ers to the come-from-behind stunner.
Mitchell and Cervenka were engaged in a pitchers duel in the early stages of the game as neither team had a hit after three complete.
The Ragin' Cajuns collected the first hit of the contest in their half of the fourth inning when Grayson laced a double to right center field. After a Danyele Gomez strike out and a Joy Webre infield popup, Bryant delivered in the clutch for the Cajuns with a two-out RBI on a single through the left side that brought home Grayson for a 1-0 lead.
The Cajuns had their chances to stretch their lead in the sixth inning. All-American third baseman Becky McMurtry hit a double down the right field line to lead off the top of the sixth. However she was stranded as Grayson and Gomez both filed out to left field and Bryant struck out swinging after a Webre walk.
UL Lafayette would strand two more in the seventh inning. For the game Louisiana-Lafayette left seven runners stranded.
Mitchell suffered the tough loss for the Cajuns after dominating from the beginning. She struck out eight and walked just one in 6 2/3 innings. Two of the three hits she allowed came in the bottom of the seventh.
With the loss, the Ragin' Cajuns season-high seven-game winning streak came to a close.
UL Lafayette drops to 0-1 in KIA Klassic pool play and will face No. 2 Arizona (27-2) at 5 p.m. (CST) in their final game of first day action at the tournament. Long Beach State moved to 1-1 in pool play with the win.
The loss was the Cajuns first KIA Klassic-opening loss since the 1997 event when Washington handed then-USL a 5-4 loss. UL Lafayette is 8-2 all-time in openers in the tournament.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
