University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Nicholls State (DH)
Mitchell Leads Cajuns to Doubleheader Sweep
2/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2004
- View Box Score (Game 1)
- View Box Score (Game 2)
THIBODAUX
- Junior pitcher Brooke Mitchell (right) combined to
strikeout 24 batters to help lead the No. 10-ranked
Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team to a
doubleheader sweep over Nicholls State Wednesday here at
Lady Colonel Diamond. The Cajuns won game one 3-1 and
game two 3-0.
The pair of victories gives the Ragin' Cajuns an 8-1
overall record and a
six-game winning streak, while dropping the Colonels to
0-2.
In the night cap, Louisiana-Lafayette began game two
where they left off
from game one. Shortstop Tiffany Hebert led off the game
with a single up the middle. Freshman Hillary Guidry
brought her home with an RBI double to left field,
giving the Cajuns a 1-0 lead after the top half of the
first frame.
The Cajuns scored another run in the second inning to
give them a 2-0
advantage.
Brittany Bryant led off the inning with a
double down the third
base line. Freshman and reigning Sun Belt Conference
Hitter of the Week Holly Tankersley then grounded out to
second base, advancing Bryant to third.
Designated
player Leslie Pierce struck out looking on the ensuing
at-bat. Bryant then scored after an errant throw to
third base by NSU catcher Kristi Blanchard, following
Pierce's strikeout.
After surrendering a first-inning hit, Mitchell (6-1)
retired the next 20
Colonel batters to seal the win in game two for the
Cajuns. Mitchell pitched another complete game, striking
out 12 batters in game two, while Nicholls State's
Nichole Wagner (0-1) struck out six.
“I thought Brooke Mitchell pitched an incredible game,”
said Louisiana-
Lafayette co-head coach Michael Lotief. “They had a
great pitcher in game one (Meier), but I thought our
pitcher (Mitchell) was better tonight.”
In the top half of the fifth, Hebert
(left) led off with a
walk, followed by a
Guidry single. After Gomez fouled out to second base,
catcher Joy Webre plated Hebert on a sacrifice fly to
give the Cajuns an insurmountable 3-0 cushion.
“Joy Webre called an incredible game out there tonight,”
said Lotief. “That was a major part of our success
tonight.”
In game one of the doubleheader, it took four-plus
innings before a run
crossed the plate for either team. Sophomore and
Pasadena, Texas, native Leslie Pierce hit a towering,
two-run homerun over the left field fence to give the
Cajuns the early advantage in the top of the fifth
inning.
UL Lafayette starting pitcher Mitchell (5-1) held the
Nicholls State batters at bay offensively through four
innings, before a Colonel could cross the
plate.
In the Colonels half of the fifth, Blanchard led off the
inning with a walk,
followed by a Brandi Hahn single, giving Nicholls State
two runners on base. NSU starting pitcher Dione Meier
then advanced the runners on a sacrifice hit, before a
Mitchell wild pitch plated Blanchard to cut the Cajuns
lead to 2-1.
In the following half of the sixth, sophomore
All-American Danyele Gomez (left) blasted her second home run
of the season, a solo effort, to give the Cajuns a 3-1
lead.
After the Colonels' lone run in the fifth, Mitchell
settled down and retired
the last nine NSU batters to seal the Cajuns victory.
Mitchell went the
distance, finishing with 12 strikeouts, while allowing
only one run on one
hit.
Meier (0-1) received the loss for the Colonels. The
senior threw a mirrored performance to that of Mitchell.
Meier pitched a complete-game, allowing three runs on
three hits, while striking 12 Cajuns batters.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
