FULLERTON –
No. 7
Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns dropped their first game of
consolation bracket play 4-1 to
Long
Beach
State
at the KIA Klassic on Saturday morning.
Louisiana
(22-5) will finish the tournament on Saturday night at
8:15pm (CT) against the loser of Penn State and North
Carolina.
It was a
game of missed opportunities, as both teams stranded several
base runners. Long Beach State (17-11) stranded 11 runners,
but had a pair of clutch base hits to score three of its
runs. UL stranded seven runners, including three in a bases
loaded situation.
The
Cajuns hitting woes began in
California,
as UL entered the KIA hitting .318, but managed only a .165
clip thru four games of the tournament.
Pitching
woes have also troubled
Louisiana,
as ace Brooke Mitchell has been bothered by arm trouble.
Opponents were hitting just .120 versus the Cajuns this
season, but are hitting .245 at the KIA.
Ashley Kirchberg (2-0) started for the Cajuns, surrendering four
runs, two earned, while striking out seven.
The
49'ers struck in the first inning with a pair of unearned
runs following a walk and two-base throwing error.
The
Cajuns could not advance Danyele Gomez in the bottom of the
first after her one-out double to center field.
The
Beach threatened in the second, with a pair of one-out
walks, but Kirchberg settled down to induce a pair of fly
balls to center field.
Gomez
didn't need any help scoring in the third, hitting her sixth
homerun of the season with a shot to right center.
Louisianan had their chance in the fourth. Lacey Bertucci
and Tara Hamilton walked before a single by Cyrstal George
loaded the bases with one out. UL could not capitalize
though, as Ashley Evans fouled out to right and pinch hitter
Desi Chapman flied out to left.
LBSU
regained its two run lead with a two-out rally in the
fifth. A walk preceded back-to-back singles, giving the
Beach a 3-1 edge.
The
Beach lead moved to 4-1 on a solo homerun by Lauren Johnson
in the sixth.
