University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
No. 1 Arizona
Cajuns Fall In Top 10 Battle to Arizona, Mitchell Reaches 500 Strikeouts
5/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Friday, May 21, 2004
Arizona's Alicia Hollowell struck out eight and held the Ragin' Cajuns to one hit as the host-Wildcats grabbed a 4-0 victory in a battle of Top 10 teams here Friday afternoon at UA's Hillenbrand Stadium in NCAA Regional No. 1 action.
The loss snapped the Ragin' Cajuns (56-7) 15-game winning streak and places the Cajuns in an elimination situation for the rest of the regional tournament.
It also made the Cajuns work on Friday a little tougher as Louisiana-Lafayette was forced to turn around and face Temple in an elimination game 35 minutes after the completion of its contest with UA.
Hollowell carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Holly Tankersley pushed a two-out single through the right side of the infield.
Brooke Mitchell (42-4) matched Hollowell's strikeout total as she fanned eight UA batters and scattered seven singles.
Her final strikeout of the game, getting Allison von Liechtenstein swinging, was her 500th of the season making her just the fourth player in NCAA Division I history to reach 500 strikeouts in a season. Mitchell joins Southern Mississippi's Courtney Blades (663 in 2000), Texas' Cat Osterman (554 in 2002) and Tennessee's Monica Abbott (552 in 2004) on the list.
Mitchell had her personal 20-game win streak snapped. Her last loss prior to Friday's defeat to the Wildcats came March 20 at the KIA Klassic in Fullerton, Calif., against the same Arizona squad.
Arizona (55-4) pushed across three runs on two outs in the third inning.
Caitlin Lowe drew a walk from Mitchell which was followed by a single from von Liechtenstein into left field.
Wendy Allen brought home the winning run on the next at bat when she lined a single into center field scoring Lowe for a 1-0 lead. Hillary Guidry's throw to home plate sailed high and allowed Allen to advance to second.
Mackenzie Vandergeest took advantage of the opportunity, looping a single into left field that plated von Liechtenstein and Allen to push the lead to 3-0. Mitchell then struck out Jackie Coburn to end the inning.
The Wildcats added an unearned run in the fifth inning for the final margin.
Hollowell carried a perfect game into the fourth inning. Brittany Bryant drew a two-out walk in the inning to end the bid.
Tankersley ended the no-hitter with her two-out single in the sixth.
Bryant walked for a second time, leading off the seventh, to give the Cajuns a baserunner in their final at bat. Hollowell got a grounder from Ashley Evans, struck out Joy Webre and got a fly out from Lacey Bertucci to end the game.
Arizona 4,
Louisiana-Lafayette 0
(May 21, 2004 at Tucson, Ariz.)
---------------------------------------------------------------Arizona.............
003 010 0 - 4 7 0 (55-4)
Louisiana-Lafayette. 000 000 0 - 0 1 2 (56-7)
---------------------------------------------------------------Pitchers:
Arizona - Hollowell. Louisiana-Lafayette - Mitchell.
Win-Hollowell(41-2) Loss-Mitchell(42-4) T-2:05 A-1347
GAME NOTES:
*Loss snaps Louisiana-Lafayette's 15-game win streak and
Brooke Mitchell's personal 20-game win streak.
*Seven hits tied the most allowed by Brooke Mitchell
this season.
*Brooke Mitchell's final strikeout of the game was her
500th of the season - making her just the fourth player
in NCAA history to reach 500 strikeouts in a season.
*Lousiana-Lafayette will play Temple in an elimination
game at 7 p.m. (CDT) Friday.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
