University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Northwestern State (DH)
Cajuns Return To Winning Track, Sweep NSU 1-0, 6-3
4/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Thursday, April 24, 2003
NATCHITOCHES – The 21st-ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team broke out of its recent offensive slump in game two and sophomore pitcher Brooke Mitchell tossed a complete-game shutout in the opener as the Cajuns got back on the winning track here Thursday night with a 1-0, 6-3 sweep of in-state rival Northwestern State at the Demon Softball Complex.
With the sweep, the Cajuns ended their brief two-game losing streak and moved to 35-7 on the season. Northwestern State dropped to 25-30 and had its three-game win streak snapped in its home finale.
Mitchell pitched complete games in both ends of the twinbill and struck out 14 batters in the two games combined.
Senior All-American Becky McMurtry and sophomore Joy Webre each homered in the second game and the Cajuns offense piled up 10 hits to complete the doubleheader and season series sweep of the Demons.
With the win in the first game, UL Lafayette recorded its 400th win all-time against in-state foes. The nightcap victory gave the Cajuns the 40th win against in-state teams under coach Stefni Lotief. The Cajuns finished the season 3-0 versus NSU and are now 58-13 all-time against the Demons.
The Cajuns got the best of the Demons in the opening games.
Louisiana-Lafayette struck first in the third inning via the short game.
Tiffany Hebert got the Cajuns first hit off of NSU starter Crista Miller with a perfectly placed bunt single down the third base line. Natalie Hamby then beat out a slow-rolling grounder to second base for the Cajuns second straight infield single.
Jill Robertson brought home the Cajuns first run of the afternoon when she looped a long fly ball that clanged off of the outfield fence right in front of the left field foul pole that brought Hebert around for a 1-0 Cajuns lead.
UL Lafayette's rally was cut short, though, as senior All-American Becky McMurtry lined into a double play at first base that doubled off Robertson and ended the Cajuns half of the third.
Robertson's RBI single broke up a pitcher's duel between Miller and UL Lafayette starter Brooke Mitchell and proved to be the lone run of the game.
The Cajuns never threatened after the third inning, going hitless the final four innings.
NSU had two chances late in the game to push across the tying run.
First baseman Amanda Ortego lifted a high fly ball to left center field in the bottom of the fifth inning that seemed headed over the fence but was knocked down by the wind and caught by Crystal George for the final out of the inning.
The Demons had chances in the sixth and seventh innings with a runner of second base in each inning. UL Lafayette thwarted the Demons last attempt to tie the game as Mitchell induced pop outs by Shay Hunt and Ortego to end the 1-0 victory for the Ragin' Cajuns.
Hebert, Hamby and Robertson had the three hits for the Cajuns who for the third straight game continued to struggle at the plate.
Mitchell picked up her 16th win of the season as she went the distance allowing just three hits and striking out seven while issuing no walks.
NSU's three hits came from leadoff batter Sarina Noack, Lindsey Danzy and Kiana Scott.
Miller suffered her 12th defeat of the season and dropped to 7-12. She also went the distance allowing three hits, all in the third inning, while striking out seven and walking none.
In game two, the Cajuns struck first once more, this time with a run in the top of the first inning.
Robertson led off with a walk and was brought around to score on a Danyele Gomez double. Gomez was forced out a third base as she attempted to advance to third on the throw to home plate.
The Demons would take the lead in the bottom half of the first inning with their first runs of the twinbill. NSU scored three runs of four hits – all with no outs.
The Cajuns slowly chipped away at the Northwestern State lead. McMurtry began the process with a solo home run to left center field in the top of the third inning. The home run was her 11th of the season and her first hit of the day. It was her first home run since the first game of an April 13 doubleheader with New Mexico State.
UL Lafayette completed the comeback with a four-run fifth inning which was aided by four hits.
Crystal George drew a leadoff walk to open the fifth and scored on Robertson's first triple of the 2003 season to tied the game 3-3. NSU head coach Eileen Schmidt elected to change pitchers and replaced starter Loni Rasberry with Amanda Ortego.
McMurtry collected her second RBI of the nightcap on the next at bat, and Ortego's first batter, when she lofted a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left center field to give the Cajuns the lead for good at 4-3.
Louisiana-Lafayette picked up two more insurance runs two batters later when Joy Webre hit a two-run home run to left field to make it 6-3.
Mitchell (17-5) collected her second win of the doubleheader going seven innings and striking out seven batters while walking two.
Rasberry took the loss for NSU as she fell to 10-8 on the season. She was charged with four of the six runs and allowed four hits. Ortego surrendered two runs (Webre's home run) and five hits in relief.
McMurtry and Webre each had two RBI for the Cajuns while Robertson led the team with two hits in the nightcap.
UL Lafayette will now take the weekend off as it has a bye from Sun Belt Conference action. The Cajuns will be back in action on Tuesday, April 29 as they travel to Lake Charles for a 5 p.m. twinbill with McNeese State before ending the regular season with a four-game series at Western Kentucky May 3-4 in Bowling Green, Ky.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
