University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
FIU
Cajuns Clinch Series with One-Run Win
4/8/2011 12:10:00 AM | Softball
The 19th ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team used a tight 2-1 win over FIU to clinch a Sun Belt series over the Panthers on Thursday night at Lamson Park.
The Cajuns move to 16-1 at Lamson Park on the season and capture their third consecutive Sun Belt series to open the season.
Ashley Brignac (16-3) went the distance for the Cajuns, giving up one run on three hits and one walk with a shutout through the first 5.2 innings.
Four different Cajuns (29-6, 7-2) posted one hit each while Gabriele Bridges had both of the Cajuns' RBI. The Cajuns outhit the Panthers 4-3 while the Panthers committed one error.
UL wasted no time getting to FIU starter Ashley McClain who walked Nerissa Myers on four pitches to lead off the first inning. Next up was Bridges who hit the first pitch she saw into the left center gap for an RBI double.
McClain and Brignac settled in at that point, and the score remained 1-0 until the fifth inning when the Cajuns would tack on another score. An FIU error sandwiched between Katie Smith and Myers singles loaded the bases with no body out.
Gabriele Bridges then drew her second walk of the game to give her a second RBI and give the Cajuns a 2-0 lead.
The run proved to be an important one as FIU (22-18, 8-4) would cut the score to 2-1 in the sixth inning on a two-out McClain solo home run, her seventh of the season.
McClain (5-4) went four innings for the Panthers and was charged with two runs and the loss. Mariah Dawson came on to throw two scoreless innings in relief.
The Cajuns return to action on Saturday and Sunday when they travel to Mobile, Ala., for a three-game series with South Alabama at Jaguar Field. The Cajuns and Jags are set for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and a 12:00 noon single game on Sunday.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
