University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Bertucci Home Run Provides the Offense in Sun Belt Opener
4/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
LAFAYETTE – Lacey Bertucci
provided the offense with her 11th home run of the season
and Brooke Mitchell tied her season-high with 15 strikeouts
as the 14th-ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team
defeated New Mexico State 1-0 in the Sun Belt Conference
opener for both teams here Saturday afternoon at Ragin'
Cajuns Softball Park.
The win improved the Cajuns to 5-0 all-time in Sun Belt openers and extends the win streak over New Mexico State to 17 straight games. Louisiana-Lafayette stretched its overall Sun Belt winning streak to 22 games and its home field SBC streak also reached 22 straight.
Mitchell's 15 strikeouts were the most she's ever had in a Sun Belt opener and her 14th double digit strikeout performance of the season.
The Ragin' Cajuns (25-7, 1-0 Sun Belt) collected six hits off of NMSU starter Sarah Seagraves (2003 Big 12 Freshman of the Year), but only Bertucci could deliver a run-scoring base hit. Bertucci's solo home run led off the second inning and was the only run scored in the contest.
The Aggies (17-20, 0-1 Sun Belt) never threatened Mitchell who carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but provided her with a challenge in their last at bat.
Sarah O' Neill got NMSU's lone hit of the contest when she led off with a bloop single into shallow left field. Mailei Hilva followed with a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by third baseman Tiffany Hebert who opted for the force at second. Pinch runner Cassandra Gonzales beat out the throw and NMSU had two baserunners.
Rose Tirre sent a grounder to Mitchell that the senior ace scooped up but dropped as she went around for the turn. The result was bases loaded with on outs.
After a conference in the circle, Mitchell went to work at escaping the jam and preserving the lead. She induced a pop up off the bat of Rebecca Lebsack for the first out. That was followed up by back-to-back strikeouts of pinch hitters Nicky Bernal and Lindsay Hainzinger to clinch the victory.
The two strikeouts moved Mitchell into sole possession of 12th place on the all-time NCAA Division I career strikeouts list at 1,204. During the game she passed up Lisa Ishikawa (Northwestern, Ill.) and Jocelyn Forest (California).
Louisiana-Lafayette had a chance to create some breathing room in the second inning. Crystal George lofted a single into left field then a two-out walk by Tiffany Hebert and infield single from Jill Robertson loaded the bases for Danyele Gomez. The runners were stranded when it was determined that one of Gomez's swings was a foul bunt with two strikes and as a result she was called out - it appeared as though Gomez was attempting checking her swing.
The two teams wrapped up their Saturday doubleheader with game two at 3:35 p.m.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
