University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
North Texas
Cajuns Sweep Sun Belt Openers
3/13/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The 17th ranked Ragin' Cajuns opened their Sun Belt schedule with a doubleheader sweep of North Texas at Lovelace Stadium in Denton, Texas on Saturday.
The Cajuns (20-2, 2-0) survived a marathon in game one, defeating the Mean Green 5-2 in ten innings. They turned around and dropped North Texas (11-10, 0-2) 7-3 in game two.
GAME ONE
For the first time in 2011, the Cajuns would have to endure extra innings as they topped the Mean Green by a final score of 5-2 in ten innings. Christi Orgeron blasted two home runs in the game, posting three RBI while extending her hitting streak to 21 games.
Nerissa Myers, Erikka Murphy and Paige Cormier all had two hits in the game as well.
Ashley Brignac (8-1) went the entire ten innings for UL, giving up just two runs while striking out 11 with just three walks.
For just the second time in 2011, the Cajuns were outhit by their opponent while North Texas posted 10 hits to UL's nine. The game marked the longest of the season for the Cajuns as the 10 innings took 3 hours and 10 minutes to complete.
The Cajuns would get on the board first with a single score in the third inning thanks to some small ball. Natalie Fernandez was hit by a pitch with one out, then stole second base. A groundout moved Fernandez to third base with two outs, which is where she scored from after a Brittany Simmons (5-6) wild pitch to give UL a 1-0 lead.
The Cajuns would extend the lead to 2-0 in the sixth inning when Orgeron extended her hitting streak with a solo home run into the trees deep to centerfield at Lovelace Stadium.
The Mean Green would come back to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, forcing extra innings, thanks to lead-off, back-to-back home runs by Caitlin Grimes and Maddelyn Fraley.
With the international tiebreak rule in affect, Katie Smith was placed on second base to begin the tenth inning. The leadoff batter in Myers then delivered with an RBI single to give the Cajuns a 3-1 lead.
Orgeron would extend the lead when she hit her second home run of the game, this one another shot to centerfield that gave UL a 5-2 lead.
The Mean Green would load the bases in the tenth inning, sending the winning run to the plate, but Brignac got Grimes to fly out to Orgeron at the wall in right field.
GAME TWO
The Cajuns' opponent scored first for just the second time in 2011, but UL was able to use big innings in the fifth and sixth to take game two from North Texas by a final score of 7-3.
Gabriele Bridges had three hits in game two while Murphy and Sarah Draheim each had two hits.
Shelbee Rodgers (6-0) went the distance for the Cajuns to remain perfect in the win column. The freshman gave up three runs on eight hits while striking out eight with just one walk.
The Mean Green got on the board first with single run in the fourth inning. A leadoff double followed by a single put runners on the corners with one out. Fraley then delivered a sacrifice fly to give North Texas a 1-0 lead.
The Cajuns would get that run, plus two more, back in the fifth inning thanks to one swing of the bat from Gabriele Bridges. Myers and Murphy led the inning off with walks, and both came home on a bomb from Bridges over the scoreboard in left centerfield at Lovelace Stadium that gave UL a 3-1 lead.
UL added four insurance runs in the sixth inning, getting things started with a walk to Smith who proceeded to steal second base. Smith advanced to third on a groundout and scored on an RBI single by Murphy.
Orgeron was then walked, chasing North Texas starter Ashley Kirk (5-4) after 5.2 innings pitched. The walk also left Orgeron hitless in four plate appearances, snapping her 21 game hitting streak to start the season.
Bridges would then greet reliever Simmons with a double to plate Murphy and Orgeron. The Cajuns plated the final run of the inning when Bridges advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on an error by North Texas.
When the dust settled, UL had sent eight batters to the plate, scoring four runs on two hits to extend their lead to 7-1.
The Mean Green would get two runs back in the sixth inning when Grimes hit her second home run of the day, this one a two-run shot that made the score 7-3.
Rodgers struck out the side in the seventh inning to give UL the 7-3 lead.
The Cajuns and Mean Green will conclude their weekend series with a single game at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
