University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
McNeese
Tankersley and Mitchell Fuel Cajuns Sweep at Cowgirl Classic
2/27/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Friday, Feb. 27, 2004
Tankersley
(left) went 3-for-3 at the plate with a two-run and
three-run home run to pace the Cajuns (17-1) offensive
attack. Her first home run was a three-run shot over the
right center field wall that gave the Cajuns a 5-0 lead
in the second frame.
Mitchell, who tossed her fourth no-hitter off the season and tied a school record with 16 strikeouts against Nevada in the first game of the day, held the Cowgirls to just one hit over five innings while fanning five batters.
Lacey Bertucci drove in the Cajuns other two runs with an RBI single up the middle in the bottom half of the first that gave the Cajuns a 2-0 lead. Bertucci brought home Tiffany Hebert and Holly Tankersley who led off the game with back-to-back walks.
UL Lafayette would chase McNeese starting pitcher Jessica Denham two batters later after Ashley Evans dumped a single into left field and Leslie Pierce walked.
Corrie Hale replaced Denham and got Brittany Bryant to pop up to shortstop and Bertucci was thrown out at home trying to score on a wild pitch.
The rest of the Cajuns offense came off the bat of Tankersley with homers in the second and fourth innings that pushed the margin to 7-0.
In the second, Joy Webre and Crystal George led off with back-to-back walks. Two batters later and Tankersley brought them home.
George's second walk of the game set the stage for Tankersley's final two RBI. After Hebert fouled out to deep left, Tankersley belted a towering shot into left center that cleared the fence for the final two runs of the game.
Heather Bobbitt pitched the final two innings for the Cajuns and retired the Cowgirls (4-12) in order.
Mitchell
(right) picked up the win for the Cajuns and with her
second strikeout of the contest moved past Kim Eisnaugle
(612 K) for second place all-time for career strikeouts.
She now has 616 career strikeouts in 83 career
appearances.
Denham suffered the loss for the Cowgirls lasting only 1/3 inning surrendering three walks and two runs. Hale issued six free passes as Cajun batter drew nine walks – the ninth time this season that UL Lafayette batters have drawn more than six walks.
The win was also the Cajuns 35th straight over their in-state foe.
Earlier in the day, Mitchell and Tankersley teamed up to lead the Cajuns to a 2-1 win over Nevada (7-6).
Mitchell
tied the school record for strikeouts with 16, the
second time this season that she tied the record, and
recorded her third complete-game no-hitter in the last
nine days. Last Wednesday, she no-hit Nicholls State and
on Saturday evening in the Mardi Gras Classic turned the
trick on Missouri.
Both teams got their runs in the first inning as Mitchell and Nevada starter Judith van Kampen stifled the hitters the rest of the way.
Hebert led off the game with a popup that was dropped in fair territory by UN catcher Lindsey Hall.
Tankersley made the Wolfpack pay on the very next at bat when she ripped a home run a good 40 feet over the left center field wall.
Nevada's lone run came in lieu of a slow start in the circle by Mitchell. The junior hurler had an uncharacteristic three walks in the Pack's half of the first with the third and final one bringing home Jiliane Hartfiel who led off the inning with a walk.
Once Mitchell settled into her groove it was history for Nevada.
The Pasadena, Texas, native struck out 13 batters over the final six innings including striking out the side in the seventh to complete the no-hitter. UN's lone baserunner the rest of the way came in the second when Hartfiel drew her second walk. After that, Mitchell retired the next 15 batters in order.
No, 10 Louisiana-Lafayette returns to action tomorrow as play continues in the Cowgirl Classic. The Ragin' Cajuns will play Texas Southern at 2:30 p.m. and Nevada at 4:45 p.m.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
