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OKLAHOMA CITY - ... The unseeded Cajuns (52-14) fall into the losers' bracket, playing today's Alabama-Arizona winner at 8 tonight in an elimination game. But the mood remained upbeat for UL, which shocked top-seeded Florida, 3-2, on Thursday.
"We've got lots of softball left, and we're here to play ball," UL co-coach Stefni Lotief said. "We're going to put this one behind us, get regrouped and come back out here ready to go tomorrow."
<center><p><a href="http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080531/SPORTS/805310325" target="_blank">The rest of the story</a>
Joshua Parrott •
jparrott@theadvertiser.com • May 31, 2008
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One day after throwing a three-hit shutout against Virginia Tech, Gibson enjoyed another strong outing against the Cajuns, who split two games with the Aggies in the regular season. The senior All-American, one of three finalists for USA Softball Player of the Year, allowed only one run in seven innings.
Gibson struck out six and scattered four hits to win her 15th consecutive decision and improve to 40-1 this season. She also helped A&M beat the lone team to win in College Station this season.
UL's three slap-hitters - Vallie Gaspard, Karli Hubbard and Katie Smith - went a combined 1-for-8 with one run scored. With their speedsters not getting on base, the Cajun offense stalled. They stranded five base runners in the loss.
"Our defense was terrific today," said A&M coach Jo Evans, whose Aggies lead the nation in fielding. "We made every play we were supposed to make."
UL's All-American Holly Tankersley and Vanessa Soto were hitless in five at-bats. The duo entered the day with 159 hits, 31 home runs and 140 RBIs this year.
"They definitely have one of the better lineups that I have faced in a while," Gibson said of the Cajuns. "I used my change-up a lot and tried to make something happen with ground balls or fly balls."
UL's freshman Ashley Brignac took the loss after giving up two runs - only one earned - in seven innings. She allowed five hits and struck out four one day after setting a career high with 15 strikeouts against Florida.
Brignac, who threw 187 pitches against the Gators, fired 144 pitches on Friday against A&M.
"Physically, I feel fine," said Brignac, now 31-7 this year. "We play a lot of softball throughout the season, so that many pitches is not going to bother me. We're physical, we're tough and we're mentally tough."
A&M capitalized on a scoring opportunity in the top of the fourth inning with Jami Lobpries' sacrifice fly giving the Aggies a 1-0 lead.
The Cajuns mounted a threat in the sixth as Gaspard reached on a lead-off bunt single. Soto tagged a pitch to deep center, but A&M's Jami Lobpries hauled it in at the wall.
Following Melissa Verde's infield single to load the bases, Bridges drilled a sacrifice fly to deep center to tie it, 1-1. Lana Bowers stepped to the plate with runners on second and third with a chance to give the Cajuns the lead, but Gibson struck her out on a full count for the inning's third out.
Lobpries singled up the middle to open the seventh, but Brignac recovered to retire the next two batters. With two outs and Rhiannon Kliesing up, Lobpries stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by UL shortstop Brooke Brodhead back to Brignac.
Kliesing delivered an RBI single up the middle to give the Aggies a 2-1 lead.
In the bottom half of the seventh, Gibson retired the side to hold off the Cajuns.
"She's a pitcher that goes out there and attack," Lotief said. "She wasn't one of the top three players in the country for no reason."
Even in defeat, Soto was positive.
"Even now looking back, I feel like that's definitely a game we can win," Soto said. "The thing about the World Series is that everyone is here with the same common goal, and everyone's going to fight to get that."
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