No. 18 Cajuns Shutout McNeese State, 7-0

LAFAYETTE-Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns scored seven runs in the first three innings and used a combined shutout by Ashley Brignac (River Ridge, La.) and Donna Bourgeois (Lafayette, La.) to dismiss McNeese State, 7-0, at Alfred and Helen Lamson Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park.

The win improves the Cajuns (28-10) to 11-0 at home this season. UL's victory is also the seventh consecutive win for the Cajuns. Louisiana began their seven-game winning streak with a perfect game on Apr. 1 against Grambling. The Cajuns stand just two victories shy of tying their longest winning streak of the season.

Bourgeois (8-2) earned the win in relief of starter Brignac. Bourgeois worked the final four innings of play, surrendering just one hit while striking out six. Her counterpart Brignac fanned five batters in the first three innings of the game scattering three hits.

The duo combined for the team's 14th shutout of the season. Neither pitcher allowed more than a single, and no Cowgirl runner advanced passed second base.

Three Louisiana players collected multiple hits in the game. Lana Bowers (Crosby, Texas) paced the team with three hits and a pair of RBI, while Karli Hubbard (Lafayette, La.) and Holly Tankersley (Kirbyville, Texas) each had a pair of base hits in the game.

Tankersley finished the game 2-for-5 with a pair of runs and two RBI. She blasted her 15th home run of the season, a solo home run to straight away centerfield. The homer was her fourth long ball in as many games.

The Cajuns opened the game by batting around in the first inning to score four runs and take an early lead. Vallie Gaspard (Maurice, La.) led off the game with a four-pitch walk. She came around to score on a Vanessa Soto (San Diego, Calif.) ground ball that sliced through the middle of the infield.

Soto advanced to second base on a fielding error by the Cowgirl centerfielder and Courtney Trahan (Maurice, La.) entered the game to run at second. Bowers slipped a double just inside the right field line to score Trahan. A wild pitch moved Bowers to third and a walk gave the Cajuns runners on the corners. Karli Hubbard (Lafayette, La.) poked an RBI single into shallow centerfield to finish out the scoring for the Cajuns.

Louisiana added a run in the bottom of the second inning on Tankersley's solo home run.

The Cajuns added the final runs of the game in the third inning. Katie Smith (Ruston, La.) led off the inning with an infield single. She stole her team-leading 13th base of the season to advance into scoring position. A Tankersley single up the middle plated the speedy Smith from second base. Bowers drove in Tankersley with a sharply hit single through the left side of the inning.

From the fourth inning on defense and pitching took control of the game and preserved the 7-0 victory.

The Ragin' Cajuns softball team returns to action on Saturday afternoon as they host South Alabama in a three game Sun Belt Conference series. The weekend series will mark their first conference series at home since the Cajuns played host to Troy on Apr. 21-21, 2007.

-www.RaginCajuns.com-

No. 18 Cajuns Shutout McNeese State, 7-0

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No. 18 Cajuns Shutout McNeese State, 7-0

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