University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Princeton
Mitchell Adds Another Record to Her Name, Defeats Princeton 7-0
3/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Friday, March 19, 2004
FULLERTON, Calif.-All it took was two innings for Brooke Mitchell to shatter the school's single-season strikeout record she set just a year ago. And, with that, the Cajuns were able to muscle their way past the Princeton Tigers 7-0 in the first round of Championship Bracket Play Friday night here at the Kia Klassic.
Mitchell (22-2) struck out 14 batters, giving her 290 strikeouts for the season and needs only 88 more strikeouts to become the school's all-time strikeout leader (Kyla Hall, 820). The previous single-season record was 279.
The win also moves Mitchell into a tie for fifth place with Kim Eisnaugle for all-time pitching victories at Louisiana-Lafayette (68).
The Cajuns (28-3), ranked No. 10 in the latest NFCA Top 25 poll, will now play Arizona (No. 1 NFCA/No. 1 ESPN) at 5 p.m. (CT) in the second round of the Championship Bracket. It will be a rematch of last year's meeting in the Kia Klassic. The Wildcats defeated the Cajuns 7-3.
Mitchell hit the lead off batter, Kristin Lueke, on the
first pitch of the game. Stephanie Steel sacrificed
Lueke over to second on a bunt. Mitchell then
struck out the next to batters to get out of the inning.
After that, Mitchell (right) retired 18 straight batters. Mitchell pitched six complete innings of hitless ball.
In the bottom of the first, Hillary Guidry led off with a single up the middle, followed by a ground-ruled double by Holly Tankersley. Danyele Gomez struck out on the next at bat, but Ashley Evans drilled a single to right center, scoring Guidry and Tankersley to give the Cajuns a 2-0 lead.
Joy Webre popped up to the shortstop for the second out. Brittany Bryant then drew a two-out walk, but Lacey Bertucci flied out to left to end the first inning.
Melissa Finley relieved Princeton starting pitcher Erin Snyder (5-5), after two-thirds of an inning. From that point, Finley held the Cajuns to no runs and just hits until the fifth inning.
In the fifth inning, Guidry reached on an error by the shortstop. Guidry then stole second, followed by a Tankersley walk. A Gomez double to right centerfield plated Guidry and Tankersley, to increase the Cajuns lead to 4-0.
Evans hit a liner to center field, but Gomez was thrown out at home for the first out of the inning. On the next at bat, Webre drilled a two-run homerun over the left field fair pole to increase the lead to 6-0. Desi Chatman drew a pinch-hit walk, followed by a Leslie Pierce double to left center field. Pinch hitters Christine Collins and Michelle Bergeaux both struck out to end the inning.
The Cajuns added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a Tiffany Grayson RBI single through the left side, scoring Tankersley.
Freshman Heather Bobbitt came on in relief of Mitchell
in the top of the seventh. Bobbitt surrendered two
straight singles, but was able to keep the Tigers
scoreless to secure the 7-0 victory.
MITCHELL IN THE RECORD
BOOKS
Career Victories
1. 104
Kyla Hall (1991-94)
2. 84 Melissa Coronado
(1999-02)
3. 78 Stefni Whitton
(1987-90)
4. 76 Jennifer Clendenin
(1993-97)
5. 68 Kim Eisnaugle
(1983-86)
5. 68 Brooke Mitchell (2002-present)
Career
Strikeouts
1. 820
Kyla Hall (1991-94)
2. 812 Kim Eisnaugle (1983-86)
3. 733 Brooke Mitchell (2002-present)
4. 576 Stefni Whitton (1987-90)
5. 554 Jennifer Clendenin (1993-97)
Career
No-Hitters
1.
18 Kyla Hall (1991-94)
2. 9
Brooke Mitchell (2002-present)
3. 6 Cheryl
Longeway (1995-96)
3. 6 Stefni
Whitton (1987-90)
5. 5 Jennifer
Clendenin (1993-97)
5. 5 Kim
Eisnaugle (1983-86)
Game 3 Line Score
Louisiana-Lafayette 7, Princeton 0 (Mar 19, 2004 at Fullerton, Calif.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Princeton........... 000 000 0 - 0 2 1 (7-7)
Louisiana-Lafayette. 200 041 X - 7 12 0 (28-3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Princeton - Snyder; Finley(1); Runyan(5).
Louisiana-Lafayette - Mitchell; Bobbitt(7).
Win-Mitchell(22-2) Loss-Snyder(5-5) T-1:55
-LOUISIANA'S RAGIN' CAJUNS-
