University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Northwestern State
Duo Leads Cajuns to Big Win
4/28/2011 12:45:00 AM | Softball
The 23rd ranked Ragin' Cajuns got offense from a couple of familiar faces, one in historic fashion, as they blanked Northwestern State, 10-0, in five innings.
Gabriele Bridges and Christi Orgeron combined for eight RBI, including three from Orgeron who tied the Sun Belt and UL single-season record of 79. Each slugger hit a home run as they increased their combined total to 41, the most by any duo in the nation.
Bridges and Sarah Draheim each had two hits for the Cajuns who hit nine as a team and scored 10 runs for the 13th time this season.
Lost in the offense outburst was Christina Hamilton (9-2) who pitched her fifth complete game shutout of the season, giving up five hits and one walk with five strikeouts in five innings. The shutout was the 18th of the season for the Cajuns.
The win moved the Cajuns (39-9) to 23-1 at home on the season and snapped a three-game skid.
UL would get on the board first in the third inning, plating two runs on two hits and a walk. Megan Granger led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a ground out and to third on a wild pitch.
A Northwestern State (29-20) error then allowed Orgeron to reach base and scored Granger. Orgeron would move to second on a wild pitch and score on an RBI single by Gabriele Bridges to give the Cajuns a 2-0 lead.
The two runs chased NSU starter Kelee Grimes (8-7) after just three innings and two unearned runs.
The Cajuns would tack one five more runs in the fourth, thanks in large part to Bridges. Natalie Fernandez led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice before she stole third. Fernandez would then score the Cajuns' first run of the inning on an RBI grounder by Granger.
A single by Katie Smith and a walk to Nerissa Myers would then load the bases with one out before Orgeron hit a fielder's choice for the Cajuns' second out. Bridges then stepped in and hit her third grand slam of the season to give the Cajuns a 7-0 lead.
The homer was the 21st of the season for Bridges who entered the day tied for the national lead with 20. It also marked the sixth grand slam of the season for the Cajuns.
UL would tack on the final three runs in the fifth inning in historic fashion. Granger and Smith reached, and Orgeron walked up with two outs and two on, needing three RBI to tie the UL and Sun Belt single-season record of 79.
It took Orgeron just two pitches to make history as she ended the game with a three-run bomb over the left field fence, tying the record and giving the Cajuns a 10-0 win.
The Cajuns return to action this weekend whey they host Western Kentucky in a three-game Sun Belt series at Lamson Park.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
