University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Tennessee Martin
Cuevas Improves to 11-0
4/6/2007 5:00:00 AM | Softball
The Ragin' Cajuns (18-2) broke open a 2-1 contest in the third inning with a Melissa Verde triple that cleared the bases opening a 5-1 advantage.
Brittany Cuevas tossed 4 1/3 innings striking out six and holding the Skyhawks to four hits for her third victory of the tournament. Cuevas improved to 11-0 on the season with the victory.
Louisiana-Lafayette claimed its third tournament championship of the season and ended the weekend event with a 5-1 mark.
The Cajuns jumped out in front on their first at bat. Codi Runyan drove a line drive over the left center field fence for her sixth home run of the season to put the Cajuns in front 1-0.
The Skyhawks pulled even in the bottom half of the first.
Brittany Nash reached on a bunt single. Megan Van Arsdale punt down a sacrifice bunt that Cuevas fielded and attempted to force out Nash at second. Nash beat out the throw and Van Arsdale reached on the fielder's choice.
Cuevas then hit Laura Roberts and UTM had the bases loaded with no outs on the scoreboard. Nash scored from third when Savannah Roberts grounded out to Runyan at shortstop.
The Cajuns prevented any further damage when Megan Williams popped up a bunt to UL catcher Lana Bowers. Bowers caught pinch runner Ashley Byrd off the third base bag to complete the double play ending the inning.
In the third inning the Ragin' Cajuns took advantage of two UTM errors to push across five runs that put the game away.
Vallie Gaspard started the inning by reaching on a fielding error by Van Arsdale. After Runyan popped up, Tankersley and Bertucci both walked to load the bases.
Desi Chatman would shove a grounder to shortstop that Laura Roberts couldn't handle allowing Chatman to reach and Gaspard to score the go-ahead run making it 2-1.
With Chatman reaching on the Skyhawks' second error of the inning it reloaded the bases. Verde cleared the basepath when she tripled to deep right field scoring three runs and advancing the lead to 5-1.
A Meagan Godwin RBI groundout scored Verde and pushed the lead to 6-1.
Cuevas worked around two UTM hits in the bottom of the third inning to keep the score at 6-1.
With a runner on first, Savannah Roberts singled into left center field advancing the runner to third base. Roberts tried for an extra base and would be thrown out after Verde took the relay throw from Chatman and fired a strike to Hubbard at second base for the second out of the inning. Cuevas then struck out Williams to end the inning.
In the fourth inning, the Ragin' Cajuns tacked on three more runs to provide the necessary runs for the mercy rule.
A one-out infield single from Gaspard was followed by a single to left center by Runyan that advanced Gaspard to third base. Gaspard scored when Tankersley pushed a single through the left side making it 7-1.
Runyan and Tankersley both moved up on a wild pitch by UTM reliever Kara Harper. Bertucci then flied out to center field for a sacrifice fly that scored Runyan to up the lead to 8-1.
Chatman finished off the scoring when she looped a single just inside the right field foul line to score Tankersley.
Cuevas struck out Stacey Weaver for the first out in the bottom of the fifth inning before Amanda Hill entered the circle to record the final two outs.
Verde led the Cajuns with three RBI going 2-for-3 at the plate.
Tankersley and Runyan each scored two runs apiece for UL. Tankersley registered her fourth and fifth runs scored of the afternoon with her tally (scored three runs on
The Ragin' Cajuns continue their road swing next weekend as they travel to
UL will open the Easton Spring Fling on Friday, March 2 against Seton Hall at
