University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Florida International
Bertucci's Seventh-Inning Single Sends Cajuns to Another Sweep
4/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Saturday, April 17, 2004
LAFAYETTE – Sometimes all it takes is just one hit to make the difference in a collegiate softball game.
For No. 8 Louisiana-Lafayette, such was the case in Saturday's second game of a Sun Belt Conference doubleheader with Florida International in which FIU starting pitcher Amanda Nealer carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
True freshman Lacey Bertucci broke up Nealer's no-hit bid with a single up the middle in the bottom of the seventh to score Brittany Bryant from second base with the winning run as Louisiana-Lafayette completed its seventh doubleheader sweep of the season with a 1-0 victory.
Earlier in the day, UL Lafayette received a 12-strikeout effort from Mitchell and piled up seven hits in a 5-0 win. Holly Tankersley ended a scoreless game in the third with a two-run home run and the Cajuns tacked on three for good measure in the fifth with RBI hits from Danyele Gomez and Ashley Evans.
The win in game two extended the Cajuns (39-4, 5-0 Sun Belt) winning streak to 11 games and placed them 1 ˝ games ahead of FIU for first place in the Sun Belt race. Louisiana-Lafayette extended its Sun Belt win streak at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park to 16 straight games.
Brooke Mitchell picked up the win for the Cajuns, her 33rd of the season, striking out nine while giving up two hits. The tally moved her over 400 for the season as she becomes just the 16th player in NCAA history to notch 400-plus strikeouts in a single season.
Mitchell's final two strikeouts of the contest were the most important of all.
FIU loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the seventh after Mitchell gave up a leadoff hit to Jennifer Owens, hit Marleah Staph with a pitch and Kristen Perry reached base on a fielder's choice sacrifice.
The 2004 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finalist seemed unphased as she proceeded to strike out the next two batters and got Lindsay Tippings to line out to Bertucci at first base to escape the jam.
After failing to capitalize on a bases loaded situation in the bottom of the sixth, Bertucci made sure the Cajuns wouldn't let another golden opportunity slip past them.
Bryant led off the inning with a walk and then stole second base during Joy Webre's at bat.
After Webre struck out swinging for the first out of the inning, Bertucci drove one up the infield and Bryant was waved around third for the lone run of the game.
Nealer suffered the hard-luck loss for the Golden Panthers (22-25, 4-2 Sun Belt). The junior pitcher from Everett, Wash., struck out 11 and had a no-hitter entering the seventh inning. However, the five walks she issued came back to haunt her in the end - none more than the fifth and final one.
Both Mitchell and Nealer carried no-hitters into the fourth inning as the hitters came up empty through three complete.
FIU ended Mitchell's bid with a bunt single to lead off the fourth by Jacque Vetters.
The same two teams will wrap up their four-game Sun Belt series Sunday, April 18 in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park.
Louisiana-Lafayette 1, Fla. International 0
(Apr 17, 2004 at Lafayette, La.)
(Game 2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fla. International.. 000 000 0 - 0 2 0 (22-25, 4-2 SBC)
Louisiana-Lafayette. 000 000 1 - 1 1 1 (39-4, 5-0 SBC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Fla. International - Nealer.
Louisiana-Lafayette - Mitchell.
Win-Mitchell(33-3) Loss-Nealer(7-8) T-2:08 A-557
GAME NOTES:
*Lacey Bertucci ends Nealer's no-hit bid in the bottom
of the seventh with an RBI single that score Brittany Bryant with the game-winning run.
*Brooke Mitchell became the 16th player in NCAA history
to record 400-plus strikeouts in a season with her eight
strikeout of the game. *Mitchell ended the doubleheader
striking out 21, allowing four hits and no earned runs
over 13 innings.
*UL Lafayette extends its win streak to 11 games and
remains undefeated (5-0) in Sun Belt play.
*Cajuns have now won 16 straight Sun Belt games at
Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park.
GAME ONE
No. 8 Louisiana-Lafayette took over sole possession of first place in the Sun Belt Conference, picking up a 5-0 victory in game one of a doubleheader here Saturday afternoon against Florida International at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park.
Junior ace hurler Brooke Mitchell was in control, striking out 12 FIU hitters and surrendering just two infield hits as the Ragin' Cajuns (38-4, 4-0 Sun Belt) extended their win streak to 10 games.
Holly Tankersley and Ashley Evans each drove home two runs to lead the Cajuns offense. UL Lafayette got a home run from Tankersley and a double apiece from Lacey Bertucci and Danyele Gomez.
The win was Mitchell's 32nd of the season, moving her into sole possession of third place on the single-season charts. She now stands three wins away from tying Melissa Coronado for the single season record.
Mitchell also picked up her 78th career victory which ties her with current head coach Stefni Lotief for third on the career victories list.
Both Mitchell and FIU starter Kendra Laminack were engaged in a pitcher's duel the first two innings. Each carried a no-hitter into the third inning.
Hillary Guidry ended Laminack's bid with a one-out infield single. Tankersley promptly ended the shutout on the next at bat when she drove a ball into the scoreboard over the right field fence for a 2-0 lead.
The home run was Tankersley's team-high 13th of the season and was just the third home run given up by Laminack this season.
Louisiana-Lafayette added insurance in the fifth inning with a three-spot thanks to an RBI double by Gomez and a two-RBI single from Evans.
A pair of one-out walks from Guidry and Tankersley set up Gomez's RBI base hit that put the Cajuns up top 3-0.
Gomez's pulled Laminack out of the contest and brought on reliever Nicole Barrett.
Barrett was greeted by a screaming single up the middle of the infield from Evans that brought home Tankersley and Gomez with two more runs.
Laminack, who entered the game with a 0.99 ERA, was tagged with five earned runs and her 11th loss of the season.
FIU (22-24, 4-1 Sun Belt) had its five-game win streak snapped and suffered its first conference loss of the season.
Louisiana-Lafayette 5, Fla. International 0
(Apr 17, 2004 at Lafayette, La.)
(Game 1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fla. International.. 000 000 0 - 0 2 0 (22-24, 4-1 SBC)
Louisiana-Lafayette. 002 030 X - 5 7 0 (38-4, 4-0 SBC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Fla. International - Laminack; Barrett(5).
Louisiana-Lafayette - Mitchell; Bobbitt(7) .
Win-Mitchell(32-3) Loss-Laminack(13-11) T-1:59
HR UL - Tankersley.
GAME NOTES:
*Cajuns pick up their 10th straight victory
*Brooke Mitchell ties current head coach Stefni Lotief
for third place on career victories list with her 78th
career victory
*Mitchell's 23rd double-digit strikeout game of the
season
*Tankersley hit her team-leading 13th home run of the
season
-LOUISIANA'S RAGIN' CAJUNS-
