Lady Cajuns Sweep Nicholls State

<! The 14th-ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team received a stellar pitching performance from Brooke Mitchell in game one and then broke out the offense in game two ><blockquote><p align=justify>THIBODAUX - The 14th-ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team received a stellar pitching performance from Brooke Mitchell in game one and then broke out the offense in game two to post a 2-1 (8 inn.), 9-0 (5 inn.) sweep of Nicholls State here Wednesday at Colonel Diamond.

Brooke Mitchell fanned 15 batters in game one and Jill Robertson scored on a fielding error by Lindsey Yelverton in the eighth inning to score the winning run in the third extra inning game between the two teams this season. The Cajuns fell behind in the third inning on a Yelverton RBI single, but evened the score in their next at bat when Ashley Evans crushed a solo home run to left center.

In game two, the Cajuns chased Nicholls State starter Jessica Barksdale by scoring seven runs over 1 2/3 innings to cruise to a run rule win in five innings. Brittany Bryant led the charge with three RBI while Lacey Bertucci and Ashley Evans each contributed two RBI apiece.

With the sweep, No. 14 Louisiana (40-7) extended its season-high winning streak to 18 games - tying the Lotief Era for longest winning streak - and wrapped up its non-conference record at 28-7. The win in game two clinched the program's seventh straight 40-win season and 13th in the last 14 years. Louisiana swept a doubleheader for the 12th time this season and 66th time out of 75 chances under co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief.

Mitchell improved to 25-6 on the season with the win in game one. She increased her career strikeout total to 1,284 as she surpassed former Louisiana-Monroe pitcher Sarah Dawson into ninth place on the all-time NCAA Division I career strikeouts list.

Louisiana will be back in action this weekend as the Ragin' Cajuns travel to Bowling Green, Ky., for a four-game Sun Belt Conference series against Western Kentucky (27-18, 8-4 Sun Belt) beginning with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, April 30.

GAME 1

Brooke Mitchell averaged nearly two strikeouts per inning to keep the Nicholls State lineup off balance. Mitchell fanned 14 Colonel hitters through regulation and an Ashley Evans solo home run in the fourth inning helped even the score after a Lindsay Yelverton RBI single in the third inning gave Nicholls an early 1-0 edge.

Yelverton had the hit in the third inning that allowed Nicholls to send the game into extras. However, it was her defensive mishap in the eighth inning that wound up costing the home team.

Jill Robertson led off the Cajuns half of the eighth inning with a single up the middle. Danyele Gomez sent a grounder toward NSU third baseman Leah Peterson who allowed the grounder to slip under her glove and put Gomez on base.

With one out, Yelverton fielded a grounder from Evans and attempted to touch second base to force out Gomez. However, the Colonel shortstop bobbled the ball and it rolled into the outfield allowing Robertson to round third and score the game's winning run.

Mitchell retired the Colonels in order in their half of the eighth to put the finishing touches on her eighth consecutive winning decision.

After two hitless frames Nicholls picked up two hits in the third inning to grab the early advantage. Mitchell issued a leadoff walk to Teri Clouatre then Peterson laid down an apparent sacrifice bunt that slipped past Lacey Bertucci allowing her to reach base. Kat Harrell laid down the sacrifice bunt on the next at bat to advance the runners to second and third.

Yelverton then shifted a RBI single under the glove of an outstretched Tiffany Hebert to score Clouatre for a 1-0 lead. Crystal George fielded the ball and fired a strike to Joy Webre at home to throw out Peterson who was attempting to score the Colonels second run.

George's outfield assist wound up playing a huge part in allowing the Cajuns to send the game into extra innings.

Evans got the run back for Mitchell and the Cajuns in the fourth inning when she ripped a pitch over the left center field wall.

The Cajuns had an opportunity to take the lead before regulation ended when Robertson and Gomez led off the sixth inning with back-to-back base hits - Gomez's a double that advanced Robertson to third base. Louisiana had its 3-4-5 hitters in order to try to push across one run, but came up empty as Brittany Bryant and Evans struck out and Lacey Bertucci fouled out in left field.

<center><b>LOUISIANA SI