University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Middle Tennessee
Cajuns Win Critical Game One
5/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The 25th ranked Ragin' Cajuns open up the defense of their Sun Belt Tournament Championship with a 10-3 win over Middle Tennessee on Wednesday night at Lamson Park.
The No.1 seeded Cajuns (46-9) got four shutout innings from Shelbee Rodgers (8-2) in relief of Christina Hamilton to hold off the Raiders. Rodgers gave up just three hits in those four innings.
Christi Orgeron led the Cajuns with three base hits in a 3-for-4 effort with two RBI. Sarah Draheim went 2-for-4 with two RBI from a home run.
For just the 13th time this season, the Cajuns opponent would score first as Middle Tennessee plated one run in the second inning. Kelsey Woodruff led off with a single and moved to third on a ground out and a wild pitch. She would later score on a Kristi Marquez RBI double to give the Blue Raiders a 1-0 lead.
The Cajuns would respond in the bottom of the inning with five runs including a long ball. Taryn Broussard walked to lead off the inning and was lifted for pinch runner Brianna Cherry. All-Sun Belt selection Sarah Draheim would then lift her sixth home run of the season over the left field fence to pull the Cajuns ahead, 2-1.
After Megan Granger walked, Janele Robinson (6-14) was lifted after one inning of work in favor of Jordyn Fisherback. After she got one out, Fisherback walked Katie Smith and hit Nerissa Myers with a pitch to load the bases for Sun Belt Player of the Year Christi Orgeron.
The USA Softball Player of the Year Finalist went on the deliver Sun Belt-leading 19th double of the season to plate two more runs and move her NCAA-leading RBI total to 86. Gabriele Bridges would then ground out, plating Myers from third base to give UL a 5-0 lead.
The Blue Raiders (18-32) would get one back in the third inning thanks to a double from Nina Davenport and a Cajun error on a sacrifice bunt attempt to pull the score to within three at 5-2.
Middle Tennessee would scratch across another run in the fourth inning thanks to a leadoff walk that chased Hamilton and a later RBI single by Davenport, making the score 5-3. The run would be charged to Hamilton who was relieved mid-inning by Rodgers.
UL would get the run back in the bottom of the frame, making the score 6-3, thanks to lead off singles from Myers and Orgeron, followed by two Blue Raider errors.
The Cajuns would put the game away with four runs in the fifth inning to run the score to 10-3. Granger and Natalie Fernandez drew walks and were followed by a Smith single to load the bases. Myers then delivered a one-RBI single to right field, but the Blue Raider right fielder misplayed the ball and Myers, along with the other two runner, scored to give UL their 10-3 lead.
The Cajuns will continue their run at an 11th Sun Belt Tournament Championship on Thursday when they match-up with Troy at 5:30 p.m. The Trojans defeated FIU on Wednesday by a score of 4-0.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
