University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Southern
Cajuns Split on Day One
2/25/2011 9:00:00 PM | Softball
The 15th ranked Ragin' Cajuns dropped their first contest of the season as they fell in game one of the Cowgirl Classic to Southern, 5-4. UL (11-1) was able to rebound and dropped Jackson State 12-2 in game two of the day at the Cowgirl Classic.
Christi Orgeron posted six RBI on the day for the Cajuns, including her second home run of the year. The Cajuns pounded out 18 hits on the day while giving up just six.
GAME ONE
The Cajuns allowed a three run seventh inning, and dropped their first contest of 2011, falling to Southern by a final score of 5-4, despite out-hittng the Jaguars 8-4.
Christina Hamilton (3-1) gave up her first career runs and was pegged with the Cajuns first loss of the season. She gave up just four hits, but five runs - three earned - while fanning 16 with just one walk. However, Hamilton hit three batters and that would prove to be her downfall.
Hamilton hit two straight batters with one out in the top of the inning, putting the tying runs on board in a 4-2 game. Southern tried to put down a sacrifice bunt, and the Cajuns over threw third base trying to retire the lead runner, allowing both runners to score, tying the game at 4-4.
The Jaguars would then get their only hit of the inning with an RBI double that plated the winning run.
For the first time in 2011, the Cajuns would trail in a game as Southern (2-10) used a lead off walk to plate a single run in the first inning. Hamilton would manage to strike out the side, but a double mixed in the middle plated the first run of the game.
UL wouldn't trail for long, as they plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Nerissa Myers led off the frame with a double of off the right field wall, and then came home when Christi Orgeron laced a double, her seventh in 11 games, down the left field line.
Orgeron would score thanks to a Sarah Draheim RBI single for UL's second run. Taryn Broussard, who walked, would then score on a Megan Granger RBI single to make the score 3-1.
The Cajuns would use their speed to add a single run in the second inning. Slapper Katie Smith beat out an infield single to lead off, and then advanced all the way to third base on a Myers infield single. With the speedsters on the corners, UL called a double steal and executed it perfectly, with Smith scoring and Myers moving to second base.
Hamilton would settle down and retire 13 Jags in a row before Southern added a run in the sixth inning to make the score 4-2. An infield single and a hit batter put two runners on base for Southern. The runners advance on a ground out and scored on a grounder deep in the hole on the left side of the infield.
GAME TWO
UL was able to bounce back from the earlier loss as they topped Jackson State, 12-2 in five innings behind a complete game effort from Shelbee Rodgers.
Rodgers (4-0) struck out eight while giving up just two hits in her fourth start of the season.
Orgeron shined at the plate for the Cajuns, going 3-for-4 with five RBI and two runs scored. Draheim was the only other Cajun with multiple hits as she posted a pair. The Cajuns as team had 10 hits in the game.
The Cajuns would get on the first in this contest as they plated a single run in the top of the first inning. Smith reached on a single, then stole second and scored on a RBI single by Orgeron.
Jackson State (3-7) would get the run back, plus one in the bottom of the frame thanks to two hits and hit batter, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
The Cajuns would retake the lead, 3-2, with two runs of their own in the second inning. A Granger walk, Erikka Murphy single and Fernandez single loaded the bases with one down for UL, allowing a walk to Myers to score a run. Smith got the second RBI of the inning with a ground out to score Murphy.
UL would tack on two more runs in the third inning to extend their lead to 5-2, thanks to two JSU errors and one RBI single by Granger.
UL would add three more in the fourth inning thanks to two hits and three walks. Orgeron, Draheim and Granger would all pick up RBI in the inning as UL extended its lead to 8-2.
The Cajuns would tack on their final four runs in the fifth inning to make the score 12-2. A single by Paige Cormier, an error and a fielder's choice loaded the bases for UL with nobody out. A wild pitch scored the Cajuns first run, just before Orgeron blasted a home run to left field to plate the final three runs.
The Cajuns resume action at the Cowgirl Classic on Saturday when they take on Grambling State at 3:30 p.m. then McNeese State at 7:45 p.m.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
