University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Fresno State
Cajuns Open Garman Classic
3/15/2007 4:00:00 AM | Softball
FULLERTON, Calif. - The 17th- ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns picked up its 25th win of the season here Thursday afternoon as they opened up pool play in the Judi Garman Classic with a 3-1 win over the Fresno State Bulldogs.
The Cajuns improved to 25-6 with the win and ended Fresno State's nine game winning streak. The Bulldgogs dropped to 20-9 on the season, with the loss. The win for the Cajuns evened the all time series with Fresno State at 2-2.
Brittany Cuevas improved to 15-3 for the Cajuns in the circle, after giving up only three hits and striking out eight Bulldog hitters.
Merryann Barr was tagged with the loss for Fresno and drops to 6-3 on the season. Robin Mackin came on to pitch the final 5 1/3 innings for the Bulldogs, giving up only one hit to the Cajuns and striking out seven.
Fresno State got on the scoreboard first, in the top half of the second inning, as Kristin Sylvester took a pitch from Cuevas over the left-centerfield fence giving the Bulldogs the early 1-0 lead.
Cuevas would only allow two Bulldog singles and a walk following the Sylvester home run in the second inning.
UL would answer in their half of the second with three runs of their own, two being unearned.
Melissa Verde led off the inning with a double into left field and scored on a Lana Bowers RBI single down the right field line.
Megan Godwin reached on an infield single and Vallie Gaspard reached on a fielder's choice and both scored on an error Fresno shortstop Haley Perkins, with two outs. At the end of two complete innings of play, the Cajuns led 3-1.
Outstanding defensive plays by Karli Hubbard at second base on an over the shoulder catch of a fly ball into shallow right centerfield, and Gaspard in centerfield on a diving catch of a line drive in left centerfield, resulted in a scoreless inning for the Bulldogs in the top half of the fourth and the Cajuns held on to the 3-1 lead.
Desi Chatman and Verde led the Cajuns at the plate with each one double. Bowers and Godwin added singles for the Louisiana-Lafayette offense.
Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns continue pool play in the Judi Garman Classic on Friday evening at 8:00 CDT as the take on #2 ranked Arizona State Sun Devils, followed by a 10:30 CDT contest against Notre Dame to close out pool play.
