Cajuns Advance to SBC Championship With Win Over UNT

Contact: Cory Weigel

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. – For the fifth consecutive season, the Ragin' Cajuns softball team advanced to the championship final with a 5-1 win over No. 4 seed North Texas to close out the third day of the 2012 Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship on Friday at FAU Softball Stadium on the campus of Florida Atlantic University.

The Cajuns (49-3) will square off against No. 2 seed South Alabama (38-15) for the SBC Tournament crown and chance to earn the league's bid to the NCAA Tournament. Game time is set for 3 p.m. CT and will air regionally on the Sun Belt Network (CSS/CST) and out of market on ESPN3.com.

Jordan Wallace (25-1) threw her team-leading 19^th complete game, fanning nine and walking three, while only allowing one run off six hits.

Katie Smith had one hit on the night but it was an inside-the-park homerun, which is the first homerun of her career.

Nerissa Myers had another strong showing in the tournament, going two-for-four at the place with one run and one RBI. Myers, who leads the nation in runs scored, needs one more run to tie the Sun Belt Conference single season record.

Brianna Cherry was 1-for-2 on the night and drove in a pair.

The game remained scoreless through the first two innings as Wallace allowed one hit and struck out four, while UNT (28-26-1) hurler Brittany Simmons retired the Cajuns without surrendering a hit.

North Texas threatened in the top of the third as they put the first two hitters of the inning aboard due to a walk and a base hit but Wallace was able to get out of the frame unscathed by way of a fly out and a double play.

UL went ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the third on an RBI double from Myers and a run scoring groundout by Christi Orgeron to score the first runs of the contest. Natalie Fernandez singled and Katie Smith walked, before the Myers double and Orgeron grounded out to second to plate Smith for the two-run advantage.

Wallace sent the Mean Green down in order in the fourth and fifth innings, including four strikeouts, marking 10 straight hitters retired by the freshman.

The Ragin' Cajuns extended their lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth on an inside-the-park homerun by Smith and a two-run single by Cherry. With one out in the inning, Smith pulled a ball to right center, which rolled to the fence, allowing the speedster to scoot her way around the bases for her first career homerun. UL loaded the bases for Cherry, who just missed a grand slam, with a two-run single off the top of the fence, plating Orgeron and Myers.

With their last chance to keep the game going, North Texas was able to load the bases after Wallace allowed two hits and a walk. Danielle Hoff then singled through the left side to put NT on the board for the first time in the game. The bases still loaded, Megan Rupp struck out swinging for the second out of the inning. Lesley Hirsch was the Mean Green's last chance to keep their season alive but fouled out for the third and final out of the game.

--Ragin' Cajuns--

Cajuns Advance to SBC Championship With Win Over UNT

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