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COLUMBUS, Ga. - No. 18 Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team and No. 11 Georgia Tech combined to leave 20 runners on base but the Yellow Jackets were able to claim a 7-1 victory at the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Saturday evening. The Cajuns left eight on base, five of which were in scoring position.
The Cajuns drop to 9-5 on the year while Georgia Tech improves to 12-2.
The Cajuns would have a chance to jump out early in the first inning. After loading the bases with two outs on one hit and two walks, UL failed to capitalize, end the inning scoreless.
Georgia Tech would also load the bases in the top of the second. After two hits and walk with one out, Donna Bourgeois would fan one Yellow Jacket for the second out. But a costly fielding error by UL, allowed Tech to plate two runs. Both runs were unearned. Another unearned run would score after a single up the middle.
Erikka Murphy would put the Cajuns in scoring positing in the bottom of the frame. After reaching on single, Murphy would steal second and move to third on fly out by Megan Granger. An infield single by Vallie Gaspard would allow Murphy to score for the Cajuns' first run. But a double play would stall their efforts to closeout the inning.
UL would put runners in scoring position again in the third after putting runners on second and third. But with two outs on the board, a ground out to third would dash any chance of closing in on Georgia Tech's 3-1 lead.
The Yellow Jackets would load the bases again in the fifth inning. But with two outs, a ground out to third would put to rest any scoring threat.
Georgia Tech would add some insurance in the sixth with a two-run home run by Jen Yee for a 5-1 lead.
Back-to-back, RBI-singles in the top of the seventh would push the final tally in Georgia Tech's favor, 7-1
The Cajuns scattered six hits on the evening with Gabriele Bridges leading the way with a game-high two hits.
Bourgeois would garner the loss dropping her to 3-4 on the year. She allowed 11 hits, five walks and seven runs, four of which were earned.
The Cajuns will wrap up the 2010 NFCA Leadoff Classic tomorrow morning at 11:00 am CT against No. 20 UMass.
