University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
No. 16 Georgia Uses Speed In Early Innings to Slip Past Cajuns
2/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
COLUMBUS, Ga. – The University of Georgia used the “small ball” game to its advantage to push across two runs in the first two innings and hold of the sixth-ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team in the opening round of Gold Bracket play here Saturday at the 10th Annual NFCA Leadoff Classic.
The first three batters that the Bulldogs sent to the plate all slapped the ball straight to Cajuns third baseman Tara Hamilton. Hamilton got the first two hitters with quick accurate throws to Lacey Bertucci at first base. The third hitter, Courtney Knight, got a quick jump out of the box and stepped over the bag before Hamilton's throw could reach Bertucci's glove.
Mitchell worked around Georgia cleanup hitter Kim Wendland with two outs. Ashley Godfrey then ripped a line drive past a diving Tiffany Hebert at shortstop that rolled into left center field allowing Knight to score for a 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs kept the Cajuns on their heels in the next inning. Jessica Doucette led off the Bulldogs' at bat with a looper that was barely out of the reach of Hebert in the middle of the infield. Doucette was advanced to second on a Katie Lewis sacrifice bunt. Doucette then advanced to third on a sharp grounder that glanced off of Ashley Evans' glove at third base and into the glove of Brooke Mitchell who fired to Bertucci for the second out.
UGA went back to “small ball” on the next at bat when Sojourner Moody popped a bunt single over the reach of Evans allowing Doucette to score the Bulldogs' second run of the contest.
Mitchell ended the inning by striking out Knight and the final five innings turned into a pitchers duel between Mitchell and Georgia starter Michelle Green.
Mitchell worked her way out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth inning getting a fielder's choice grounder from Moody for a force play at home and then a groundout third out from Knight to end the threat and keep the 'Dogs at bay.
Green, who ended the game with eight strikeouts, kept the Cajuns hitless until the top of the seventh when Danyele Gomez led off the inning with a home run over the left center field wall. Green then settled down and struck out Brittany Bryant, Joy Webre and Bertucci to end the game.
Mitchell fanned six Georgia hitters to just two hits in the final five innings. The first run scored by Georgia ended the Pasadena, Texas, native's string of 43 1/3 innings without an earned run allowed.
Gomez had the Cajuns lone hit of the game and was the only Louisiana-Lafayette player to reach the basepaths.
The sixth-ranked Ragin' Cajuns will return to action on the final day of Leadoff Classic play when they take on Seton Hall in the Gold Bracket consolation semifinals. A win and the Cajuns would play for third place in the Gold Bracket at 12 Noon (CST). A loss and the Cajuns would be eliminated with a 3-2 tournament record.
Georgia 2,
Louisiana-Lafayette 1 (Feb 26, 2005 at Columbus, Ga.)
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Louisiana-Lafayette. 000 000 1 - 1 1 1 (15-2)
Georgia............. 110 000 X - 2 6 0 (10-6)
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Pitchers: Louisiana-Lafayette - Mitchell. Georgia - Green.
Win-Green(5-1) Loss-Mitchell(12-2) T-1:42
HR UL - Gomez.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
