LAKE CHARLES, La.-Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team pounded out 12 hits, including three home runs to claim a 12-0 win over McNeese State on Wednesday night at Cowgirl Diamond.
The Cajuns (4-0) collected 12 hits with four extra base hits as they cruised to their fourth victory of the season. UL scored in every inning including a trio of three-run innings.
Senior transfer Brooke Brodhead (Lafayette, La.), who played her first three seasons at McNeese State, made her return to Lake Charles memorable as she recorded her first home run of the season. Her homer was a line-drive shot off of the scoreboard in left field.
Melissa Verde (Beaumont, Texas) also collected her first homer of the season. The third baseman finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored. She also walked.
Vanessa Soto (San Diego, Calif.) added her first homer of the season in the fifth inning. Her three-run dinger in the top of the fifth inning gave the Cajuns a 12-run lead.
Ashley Brignac (River Ridge, La.) showed no ill effects of the Cajuns' nine-day layoff. The freshman improved to 3-0 on the season working 5.0 innings. She surrendered a pair of hits on the night, but did not allow a runner past second base as she earned her second shutout of the young season. For the first time in her career, she did not record double-digit Ks, but Brignac did retire eight batters by strikeout.
The Ragin' Cajuns were the first to scratch the scoreboard. In the first inning, Holly Tankersley (Kirbyville, Texas) was hit by a pitch to get the Cajuns started. Vallie Gaspard (Maurice, La.) pinch ran for Tankersley. Soto snuck a single past a diving Cowgirl infielder. Gaspard advanced all the way to third and the throw from the outfield rolled into the dugout. Because of the errant throw, Gaspard came across the plate to score and Soto advanced to third. The Cajuns were unable to plate anymore runners and led after a half an inning, 1-0.
Jessica Dupont (Alexandria, La.) singled to right field to start the second inning for the Ragin' Cajuns. Courtney Trahan (Maurice, La.) pinch ran for Dupont. Gabriele Bridges (Lafitte, La.) singled up the middle. Trahan advanced to second, but was called out at third as the MSU centerfielder fired a strike to third. A groundout advanced Bridges to second base and a Katie Smith (Ruston, La.) single gave UL runners on the corners. Smith stole second base and the throw to second was off the mark, allowing Bridges to score from third. A wild pitch moved Smith to third base and a Verde double to left center plated her. A Tankersley single scored Verde from second for the final run of the inning, giving Louisiana a 4-0 edge.
The Cajuns extended their lead to 6-0 in the third inning. Lana Bowers (Crosby, Texas) led off the inning with a single for the first base runner of the inning. Brodhead made her return to Lake Charles special as she belted a two-run home run off of the scoreboard in left field.
The homer was Brodhead's first of the season and the second for the Cajuns on the year.
The Cajuns recorded their first multi-homer game of the season. After Smith led off the fourth inning with a single, Verde pounded a home run to straight away centerfield. For Verde it was her first homer of the season.
UL would add another run in the fourth inning as Bridges was walked with the bases loaded to push the lead up to 9-0.
The Cajuns added three runs in the fifth inning on a Soto homer.
The Ragin' Cajuns softball team returns to Lafayette for the first time this season as they host the 22nd Annual Louisiana Classics. The Cajuns open the tournament at 5:00 p.m. on Friday against Mississippi Valley State at Alfred and Helen Lamson Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park.
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