University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Middle Tennessee
Cajuns Split Sun Belt Opener With MTSU
3/7/2007 5:00:00 AM | Softball
LAFAYETTE ? The 15th-ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball squad began Sun Belt Conference play on Wednesday splitting a doubleheader with Middle Tennessee at Alfred and Helen Lamson Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park.
The Ragin' Cajuns (21-5, 1-1 Sun Belt) received an early boost in game one when Holly Tankersley hit a two-run home run in the first inning of a 4-1 victory to begin Sun Belt play.
In the nightcap, the Blue Raiders (10-13, 1-1 Sun Belt) tallied four runs in the second inning and Lindsey Vander Lugt tossed three innings of scoreless softball for the save as Middle Tennessee claimed game two by the count of 5-3.
The two clubs will meet at 11 a.m., on Thursday, March 8 at Lamson Park to determine the winner of the series.
GAME 1
The Ragin' Cajuns kicked off their seventh season of regular season play in the Sun Belt tallying the 4-1 victory at the start of the series with Middle Tennessee.
It only took two batters for Louisiana-Lafayette to go in front.
Karli Hubbard started the Cajuns' first at bat slapping a single over the reach of MT shortstop Shelby Stiner and into left field. Tankersley then drilled a Vander Lugt offering over the wall in left field for a quick 2-0 lead.
Freshman pitcher Brittany Cuevas took the circle for the Cajuns in their SBC opener and controlled the Blue Raiders holding them to two infield singles through the first four innings.
Cuevas retired nine straight MT batters before an infield single by Martha Davis in the fourth inning.
It was the fourth inning where Louisiana-Lafayette tacked on two additional runs and created some breathing room for Cuevas.
Lacey Bertucci began the inning with a line drive to left field that banged off the top of the fence and caromed to toward the foul line allowing her to reach with a leadoff double.
Pinch runner Courtney Trahan later scored from third on a Melissa Verde double to right field upping the Cajuns lead to 3-0. Verde scored when Lana Bowers bounced a single up the middle of the infield and UL was out in front 4-0.
The lone Blue Raiders run of the opener came in the top of the fifth inning on a throwing error by Karli Hubbard. Katie Mielke doubled down the left field line with one out. Ashley Cline then hit a grounder on the back of the infield behind first base that Hubbard fielded. Cline would have beaten the throw out and was safe on an infield single. Hubbard's toss was behind Bertucci at first base allowing Mielke to score.
The Cajuns threatened to add more runs in their half of the fifth after Tankersley led off with a double. With one out, Bertucci laced a fly ball toward right center that appeared to would fall just out of the reach of MT right fielder Muriel Ledbetter. Ledbetter stretched out to make the diving catch and double up Tankersley who was running on contact, to end the inning.
The Blue Raiders loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning. Cuevas put an exclamation point on her first Sun Belt Conference victory when she got Justine Cerda to strikeout swinging to end the game.
Tankersley led UL with two hits and two RBI. Verde also had two hits.
Cuevas allowed seven hits with five coming in the final three innings. Cuevas struck out six MT hitters and stranded seven MT runners for her 12th win of the season.
Vander Lugt was tagged with the loss after surrendering four earned runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings. Samantha Floyd pitched the final 2 2/3 innings and allowed two hits.
GAME 2
Louisiana-Lafayette placed Cuevas back into the pitcher's circle for game two. She retired the Blue Raiders in order in the first inning before running into trouble in the second inning.
MT received infield singles from Ledbetter and Cline. That was followed by a three-run home run to left field by Mielke giving the Blue Raiders a 3-0 lead.
Floyd then doubled and scored on a two-out double by Caitlin McLure increasing the MT advantage to 4-0.
The Ragin' Cajuns got one of the runs back in the bottom of the second inning. Desi Chatman homered to left field cutting the deficit to 4-1.
Tankersley relieved Cuevas in the pitcher's circle and tossed the final five innings. She scattered four hits and gave up one run.
UL trailed 5-1 after a double from Cerda down the right field line in the fifth inning plated the fifth run for MT.
The Ragin' Cajuns began a rally in their half of the fifth inning getting the first three hitters to reach base to load the bases with no outs on the scoreboard.
Bowers and Vallie Gaspard each reached on infield singles. MT replaced Floyd, who started the game, with game one starter Vander Lugt. Hubbard then beat on a grounder to second base to load the bases.
Tankersley then drilled a grounder through the right side ? just under Hubbard's feet ? to plate Bowers and Gaspard and pull within 5-3.
Vander Lugt prevent any further damage when she retired Codi Runyan (popped out at second base), Berutcci (fly out to right field) and Verde (fly out to right field) in order to strand the game-tying runs on the basepath.
Louisiana-Lafayette had Runyan at the plate with two outs in the seventh inning after Tankersley singled up the middle. Runyan hit a grounder just inside the foul line that stopped in front of the third base bag. Thinking it was foul, Runyan stepped back into the batter's box. However, umpires signaled fair ball and Floyd (moved to third after Vander Lugt came in to pitch) picked up the ball and tossed it to Cerda at first base for the final out.
Cuevas was charged with the loss for the Cajuns after starting and allowing four runs over the first two innings.
Floyd collected the victory for Middle Tennessee while Vander Lugt earned the save after tossing three innings of scoreless softball.
