University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Perfection Continues as Cajuns Sweep to their 19th Straight Win
3/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Saturday, March 11, 2006
RUSTON – Perfection has extended through March 11 for the 10th-ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team following a 10-4, 8-3 doubleheader sweep of in-state foe Louisiana Tech here at the Lady Techster Softball Complex.
No. 10 Louisiana-Lafayette upped its season record to 19-0 and tied the 1990 team for the second-longest winning streak in program history with the sweep. The Ragin' Cajuns also extended their streak of consecutive wins over Louisiana schools to 18 straight games and improved to 78-10 against state schools under co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief.
Seniors Brittany Bryant and Danyele Gomez fueled the Cajuns offensive fireworks with the pair combining for five home runs. Bryant crushed three home runs – two in the second game – and ended the day with a team-best seven RBI.
Gomez hit season home runs No. 10 and 11 to increase her career total to 64 home runs moving her into sole possession of eighth place on the NCAA career home runs charts.
As a team UL's offense continued to crank out the extra base hits. The Cajuns ended the twinbill with seven home runs to move its season total to 43 through 19 games played.
Pitching-wise, both Krystal Lewallen and Ashley Kirchberg kept their marks clean moving to 10-0 and 9-0, respectively.
Game one saw the two teams trade two-run innings with the score 6-4 through five innings before UL added four more runs in the final two frames.
Game two had Louisiana Tech (7-12) striking first with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning that ended Ashley Kirchberg's string of consecutive scoreless innings at 42 2/3 innings. Bryant got the runs back in the top of the second inning with a two-run home run and then UL struck for five runs in the third inning to break open the game.
Louisiana-Lafayette upped its series lead over Tech to 38-30 and extend its winning streak over the Techsters to 17 straight games. The Cajuns are now 13-0 under the Lotiefs against La. Tech.
No. 10 Louisiana-Lafayette (19-0) will be back in action on Tuesday for its final tuneup before the Judi Garman Classic (formerly KIA Klassic). The Ragin' Cajuns will host Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday, March 14 at 4 p.m., in a doubleheader from Alfred and Helen Lamson Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park.
GAME 1
The Cajuns pushed across two runs in the first inning. Deserea Griffin and Danyele Gomez led off with back-to-back hits. Griffin hit a liner through the middle of the infield and Gomez followed with a double deep down the left field line.
Tech pitcher Krissi Oliver uncorked a wild pitch on the at bat with Lacey Bertucci allowing Griffin to scamper across home plate with the first run. Tech catcher Regan Clark made a throw from the backstop, but it bounced off of Griffin and into the infield allowing Gomez to score the second run on the error.
Louisiana Tech evened the score after a two-out base hit and uncharacteristic wildness from UL pitcher Krystal Lewallen in the bottom of the third inning.
Emma Barnes singled through the left side of the infield off the glove of Cajuns shortstop Codi Runyan. Lewallen then hit Danielle Sheridan and Christine Echols to load the bases. Clark then drove a single into left center field to score Barnes and Sheridan to tie the score 2-2. Lewallen induced a pop out from Ashley Cameron to end the inning.
Brittany Bryant got the runs back for Lewallen and the Ragin' Cajuns in the top half of the fourth inning. Ashley Evans drew a leadoff walk to start the inning. Bryant attempted a bunt and took a few pitches before swinging away and blasting a two-run home run over the left field fence to put UL up 4-2.
Lewallen settled back into her groove retiring the Techsters in order in the fourth inning and the offense scratched for two more runs in the fifth inning on back-to-back solo home runs from Gomez and Bertucci that pushed the lead to 6-2.
Gomez' home run was her team-leading 10th of the season and the 63rd of her career. She moved into a tie for eighth place on the NCAA career home run charts with Long Beach State's Oli Keohohou.
Bertucci's home run was her 32nd career shot allowing her to tie Jana Mower (1998-2001) for fifth all-time in the UL record books.
More two-out magic helped Louisiana Tech trim the margin down to two runs. It started with a Rochelle Sandberg single to left field and a fielder's choice grounder that put Barnes on first base with one out. Lewallen got Sheridan to go fishing on a check swing for the second out before the “hit batter” bug came back to cost Lewallen a third earned run.
It was Clark with another RBI base hit, this time going up the middle to score Barnes. Echols, who was hit by a pitch, advanced between second and third on the relay throw into home. Bertucci blocked the throw and Lewallen picked it up in an attemp to throw out Echols at third base, but the throw was high and out of the reach of Griffin allowing Echols to score the unearned run. The wackiness of the play continued as Gomez tossed the ball back into the infield getting the out on Clark as she was attempting to slide back into second base.
UL would load the bases in the sixth inning and score two runs. Pinch runner Kelsey Cammarata scored on a passed ball and after Tech intentionally walked Bertucci to reload the bases, pitcher Courtney Avery issued a walk to Tankersley to score another UL run and increase the lead to 8-4.
Key to the Cajuns rally was a one-out, pinch-hit double from Tara Hamilton. Hamilton's double put runners in scoring position and a Griffin walk following loaded the bases.
A double play turned by Griffin in the bottom of the sixth prevented the Techsters from drawing any closer.
A two-run home run by Lemoine in the top of the seventh inning capped off the scoring for Louisiana-Lafayette and made the final score 10-4. It was Lemoine's second home run of the season and the Ragin' Cajuns' fourth home run of the game increasing the team's season total through 18 games to 40.
GAME 2
The Techsters struck first in the nightcap getting a solo home run off the bat of Rochelle Sandberg. Sandberg's run was the first scored off of Cajuns pitcher Ashley Kirchberg in 42 2/3 innings and the first run allowed by the Houston native since Feb. 11 against Memphis.
It was UL's turn to work some two-out magic and the trickery helped the visitors take the lead for good in the top of the second inning.
Tech starter Lesley Aycock issued a two-out walk to Ashley Evans. Senior second baseman Brittany Bryant cashed in for the Cajuns when she took an offering from Aycock and drove it over the fence in straightaway center field for a 2-1 lead. The home run was Bryant's second of the doubleheader and her fourth of the season.
The Cajuns sent eight hitters to the plate in the third inning with the end result being a five-spot that ballooned the Ragin' Cajuns edge to 7-1.
Deserea Griffin opened the Cajuns half of the second with a double into the left center field gap. Danyele Gomez came up next and hit one of two multi-RBI homers for UL in the frame. She took an Aycock offering and went opposite field over the fence in right field for a 4-1 edge. The home run was Gomez' 11th of the season and 64th of her career.
Fly outs from Lacey Bertucci and Codi Runyan sandwiched and single from Holly Tankersley. Ashley Evans reached on a fielding error by Tech third baseman Christine Echols to keep the inning alive. Bryant made sure the Cajuns took advantage by belting her second home run of the game to bring home three more runs and increase the lead to 7-1.
The Techsters got another home run in the fourth inning when Regan Clark hit a two-run home run over the left field fence to trim the Cajuns' lead to 7-3. Kirchberg started off the Techsters at bat by hitting Christine Echols.
Kirchberg struck out 10 Techsters batters – her second straight outing with at least 10 strikeouts.
The nightcap victory extended UL's season-opening win streak to 19 games (19-0) tying the 1990 team for the second-longest winning streak in program history. It's the longest win streak under the Lotiefs besting 18-game streaks from the 2003, 2004 and 2005 seasons.
The Cajuns defeat Louisiana Tech for the 29th time in the last 34 meetings with the game two victory and swept a doubleheader for the 72nd time in 82 tries under the Lotiefs.
#10 Louisiana-Lafayette 10, Louisiana Tech 4 (Mar 11,
2006 at Ruston, La.) (Game 1)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Louisiana-Lafayette. 200 222 2 - 10 11 2
(18-0)
Louisiana Tech...... 002 020 0 - 4 5 1
(7-11)
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Pitchers: Louisiana-Lafayette - Lewallen. Louisiana Tech
- Oliver; Avery(5).
Win-Lewallen(10-0) Loss-Oliver(2-4) T-2:00
A-0
HR UL - Gomez; Bertucci; Bryant; Lemoine.
Oliver faced 2 batters in the 5th.
#10 Louisiana-Lafayette 8, Louisiana Tech 3 (Mar 11,
2006 at Ruston, La.) (Game 2)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Louisiana-Lafayette. 025 000 1 - 8 10 0
(19-0)
Louisiana Tech...... 100 200 0 - 3 4 3
(7-12)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Louisiana-Lafayette - Kirchberg. Louisiana
Tech - Aycock; Rupp(4).
Win-Kirchberg(9-0) Loss-Aycock(3-4) T-1:40
A-223
HR UL - Gomez; Bryant 2.
HR LATECH - Sandberg; Clark.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
