Cajuns Rebound with 8-3 Victory

DENTON, Texas-Louisiana's Ragin Cajuns softball team faced off with tournament-host North Texas in an elimination game on the second day of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and came away with an 8-3 victory.

The Ragin' Cajuns pounded out 11 hits on the morning including four extra base hits. Gabriele Bridges paced the team with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate. Senior Codi Runyan and freshman Christi Orgeron each collected two hits on the day including a home run each. Orgeron finished the game with a run and three RBI, while Runyan scored two runs and drove in another. Runyan also walked in the game to reach base safely three times on the day.

Donna Bourgeois, the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year, tossed her second complete game of the tournament. She scattered four hits in 7.0 innings of work ? all singles. Bourgeois struck out nine batters, raising her Sun Belt Tournament total to 20 strikeouts in 14.0 innings of work. For the second consecutive game, Bourgeois retired the first nine batters she faced in order.

Bourgeois and the Cajuns relied on a solid defensive effort that included a pair of diving catches from SBC Player of the Year Karli Hubbard.

The Ragin' Cajuns broke a scoreless deadlock in the top of the third inning. Melissa Verde led off the inning with a walk and Courtney Trahan entered the game to run at first. A walk to Runyan gave the Ragin' Cajuns a pair of base runners. Orgeron made the Mean Green pay as she blasted her ninth home run of the season. Orgeron's three-run bomb to straight away center field gave the Cajuns a 3-0 lead after two and a half innings of play.

The Cajuns plated another run in the top of the fourth inning. Vallie Gaspard led off the inning with a high chopping single over the head of the NT third baseman. She stole second base to move into scoring position. A sacrifice bunt by Hubbard moved Gaspard to within 60 feet of home. An RBI groundout by Verde scored Gaspard from third and gave UL a 4-0 lead.

North Texas cut into the Cajuns' lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. After retiring the first nine batters she faced in order, Bourgeois surrendered a base hit. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner into scoring position. A second single in the inning plated the first run in the inning. A walk continued the inning and a ground ball moved the two base runners into scoring position. A single to left field was deep enough to score the two runners and trim the Cajuns' advantage to 4-3 after four complete innings of play.

Louisiana added some insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. With one out, Runyan lifted a 3-1 pitch into the muggy air and over the right center field fence. The home run was the seventh of the year for Runyan and gave the Cajuns a two-run cushion. Bridges extended the inning with a two-out single through the left side of the infield. After Erikka Murphy entered the game to run for Bridges and moved to second as Bowers was hit by a pitch. Jessica Dupont came through with a pinch hit RBI single to left field to score the speedy Murphy from second. Kelly Cormier re-entered the game to run for Dupont. She and Lana Bowers both came around to score as pinch hitter Ashley Ray doubled to shallow right field. The four runs in the top of the inning gave Louisiana an 8-3 advantage after six and a half innings of play.

Bourgeois retired the final three batters in order, including striking out the final batter of the game.

The Ragin' Cajuns will play ULM at 3:00 p.m. game. The Cajuns will play at 10:00 a.m. on Friday morning.

-www.RaginCajuns.com-

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