University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
NO. 16 ALABAMA
Mitchell Masters Crimson Tide, Tosses One-Hitter
3/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Thursday, March 27, 2003
LAFAYETTE – Sophomore pitcher Brooke Mitchell tossed her second straight one-hitter against a Top 20 team and Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team received RBI doubles from Lauren Castle and Joy Webre in posting a 2-0 win here Thursday evening at Lady Cajun Park over 16th-ranked and SEC-member Alabama.
Mitchell
(7-4, 1.06 ERA, 99 K) went the distance striking out
seven, walking two and allowing just one hit – a
two-out, infield single to shortstop in the fifth
inning.
It was Mitchell' second straight one-hitter of a ranked team and she has now pitched 24 2/3 inning in her last five appearances and has allowed just six hits.
With the win the Ragin' Cajuns (16-5) picked up their second win over a ranked team this season. UL Lafayette, playing its fourth straight game against a ranked team, defeated then-No. 16 Florida State 3-0 at the KIA Klassic on March 14.
UA (25-11) saw its season-high six-game winning streak come to an end and remains winless all-time against the Cajuns in two meetings.
After a hitless first inning, the Cajuns managed to push across the game's first run with a two-out double by Castle.
Webre had reached on an infield single that glanced off of the glove of UA first baseman Jackie McClain. Webre then advanced to third on two passed by balls by Tide catcher and Lafayette area native Lacy Prejean.
After a Brittany Bryant foul out to McClain, Castle lifted a long line drive over the head of UA center fielder Jaclyn Wilkins allowing Webre to score the game-winning run and give the Cajuns a 1-0 lead.
UL Lafayette added an insurance run in the sixth inning. Senior All-American third baseman Becky McMurtry led off the inning with a double to left center and then Tiffany Grayson drew a walk.
After a Danyele Gomez deep fly out to right field, Webre followed with a double to deep left field to score pinch runner Tiffany Hebert and make it 2-0.
Mitchell ended the game retiring the Crimson Tide in order in the seventh. McClain popped up, Stephanie VanBrakle struck out swinging and Prejean, playing in her hometown, ended the game with a line drive straight into the glove of Cajuns shortstop Jill Robertson.
Webre ended the game 2-for-3 with a single, double and an RBI. McMurtry and Castle had the other two Cajuns hits.
VanBrakle (7-4) took the loss for UA. She went three innings, struck out five and allowed one run on two hits.
Jennifer Wright threw two innings and struck out four while retiring all Cajuns batters she faced and Erin Wright pitched the sixth inning allowing one run on two doubles and walking one.
Mitchell earned the win over a ranked team after suffering a heartbreaker against then-No. 6 Oklahoma at the KIA Klassic.
She struck out seven batters, moving her within one strikeout of 100 this season. After allowing a leadoff walk to to Wilkins, Mitchell would retire the next 13 batters before Jennifer Reach's infield single with two outs in the fifth.
The Tide never advanced a runner past second base the entire game.
Mitchell escaped a first inning jam, and the Tide's only threat, of runners on first and second with one out by getting VanBrakle to hit a soft grounder to McMurtry at third. The North Platte, Neb., native would step on the bag and make the throw over to first for the 5-3 double play.
Mitchell would retire the final seven batters after the infield single and she only faced 23 batters – two over the minimum.
Louisiana-Lafayette will return to action on Friday, March 28 against Prairie View A&M (11-13) with an 11 a.m. doubleheader. It will be the first meeting ever between the two schools.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
