UL Advances to Sun Belt Championship

DENTON, Texas-Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team advanced to the Sun Belt Conference Championship game for the ninth time in the last 10 years with an 8-0 mercy-rule victory over FIU at Lovelace Stadium in Denton, Texas.

The Ragin' Cajuns will play the winner of Florida Atlantic and Western Kentucky in the championship game at 3:00 p.m. The game will be televised on Cox Sports Television (CST).

The Cajuns jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back as they scored eight runs on just six hits. Louisiana belted three home runs on the afternoon, including a three-run shot by Melissa Verde and solo homers from Christi Orgeron and Gabriele Bridges.

Verde finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored and a team-best four RBI. It was a team effort for the Cajuns as eight different UL players scored a run in the game.

Sophomore pitcher Donna Bourgeois kept the Golden Panthers off of the scoreboard, tossing 5.0 scoreless innings of work en route to her 11th complete game shutout of the season. Bourgeois scattered three hits while striking out seven batters. She did not allow a ball in the air as she induced seven ground outs to go along with her seven Ks.

FIU threatened in the first inning. Bourgeois fanned the first batter, but surrendered a walk to the next batter. A single up the middle left the Golden Panthers with runners on the corners with just one out. The runner at first stole second to move into scoring position. The next batter hit a ball to third base, but Verde quickly fielded the ball and snapped it to home to eliminate the lead runner. A ground ball ended the inning without a run scored.

The Cajuns wasted little time in the opening stanza taking a 4-0 lead over FIU. Vallie Gaspard worked the count full before drawing a walk. The first pitch to Karli Hubbard hit her in the arm giving the Cajuns a pair of base runners for Verde. The junior third baseman wasted little time, driving a 1-2 pitch over the center field wall and off of the scoreboard to give UL a 3-0 advantage. Two batters later, Orgeron smashed a solo bomb to left field to push the Cajuns' lead to 4-0 after one inning of play.

Louisiana added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the third inning. Verde led off the inning with a single to right center field and Courtney Trahan entered the game to run for Verde at first. Codi Runyan reached base on a fielding error by the Golden Panthers. A wild pitch advanced the runners and Trahan came around to score on an Orgeron sacrifice fly. Runyan moved to third base on a wild pitch and came across to score on a passed ball by the FIU catcher.

The Ragin' Cajuns added a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Back-to-back errors by FIU allowed the Cajuns a pair of base runners. A bunt single by Gaspard loaded the bases. A fielder's choice retired the lead runner, but left the bases loaded. An RBI ground out by Verde scored the lead runner and gave the Cajuns a 7-0 advantage.

Leading 7-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth, the Cajuns wasted little time securing the mercy rule victory as Bridges blasted a home run over the left field fence to give the Cajuns the 8-0 win.

The Ragin' Cajuns will play the winner of Western Kentucky and Florida Atlantic in the championship game of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at 3:00 p.m. in a game that will be televised on Cox Sports Television (CST).

-www.RaginCajuns.com-

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