Lady Cajuns Duo Sweep Weekly Honors For Third Time

<blockquote>Brooke Mitchell and Holly Tankersley of #8 UL are the Sun Belt's top honorees this week

LOUISIANA Là - For the third time this season the eighth-ranked Louisiana's Lady Cajuns softball swept the Sun Belt Conference's Hitter and Pitcher of the Week honors.

On Monday, the Sun Belt Conference named freshman Holly Tankersley the Hitter of the Week and junior Brooke Mitchell the Pitcher of the Week for their performances in the Lady Cajuns 2-0, 8-0 sweep of Northwestern State last Wednesday.

It's the third time this season that Tankersley and Mitchell combined to sweep the league awards. The two swept honors on Feb. 17 and March 2.

Mitchell, the Sun Belt leader in earned run average (0.59), wins (26) and strikeouts (345), picked up her league-high sixth honor. Tankersley collected her third award of the season and first since the week of March 1st.

The Cajuns have now won 32 weekly honors in three-plus seasons under former Ragin' Cajuns All-American and current head coach Stefni Lotief. Louisiana-Lafayette has picked up nine weekly awards this season including six of the eight pitcher awards handed out.

Mitchell collected both of the Cajuns wins in a twinbill sweep of Northwestern State to increase her season win total to 26. She struck out 26 batters over 11 2/3 innings and surrendered just three hits to the Demons while holding NSU to a .083 batting average.

She struck out 14 batters in the first game and had 12 in the nightcap and held NSU hitless in the second game through 4 2/3 innings before being relieved by Heather Bobbitt.

The double-digit strikeout totals increased her season total of games with 10 or more strikeouts to 21. She has now struck out double figures in the last four games.

Tankersley had a perfect night at the plate in the Cajuns doubleheader sweep of Northwestern State, going 5-for-5. She reached base on all seven at bats, drew two walks had zero strikeouts, scored two runs and drove in two as well.

The Kirbyville, Texas, was 4-for-4 with two RBI in the second game including bringing home Hillary Guidry with the winning run in the top of the first inning.

Her performance at the plate raised her batting average 35 points from .330 to .365.

The Lady Cajuns (32-4), the highest-ranked NCAA Midwest Region team, return to action this weekend as the team ventures out west to Las Cruces, N.M., for a Sun Belt-opening series with New Mexico State April 10-11. The twinbills start at 2 p.m. (CT) both days.

<center>LOUISIANA SI