Lady Cajuns Strolling along at 17-0 and 177-6 move into top-10

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Another day, more offensive fireworks and more stellar pitching for the University of Louisiana softball team. The Ragin' Cajuns - now the top 10-ranked Ragin' Cajuns - returned home for the first time in nearly three weeks and rolled to 10-2 and 8-0 run-rule victories over Nicholls State Wednesday at Lamson Park. The Cajuns (17-0) continued to add to their school-record season-opening win streak, only hours after getting the word they had moved up to No. 10 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll. "The thing I love about this team is that they always go out there with an objective," said Cajun head coach Stefni Lotief. "And they can make adjustments. That's what happens when you work as hard as they do." UL jumped to a 6-0 lead in the first game and coasted home behind the pitching of Krystal Lewallen, and her mound mate Ashley Kirchberg continued a personal streak with a one-hit, six-strikeout performance in the nightcap. Kirchberg (8-0) has now thrown 42 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings, and she needed to shut down the Colonels (6-12) for part of the second game when NSU's Krystalin Ensminger (3-3) matched early shutout innings. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

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LOUISIANA La. – Louisiana’s Lady Cajun softball team has joined the Top 10 of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 poll which was released Wednesday. The Lady Cajuns moved up one spot in the NFCA poll to No. 10 – the fifth straight week that the squad advanced at least one spot in the poll after beginning the season at No. 18. UL received 460 votes and were 26 votes behind defending national champion Michigan. No. 10 Louisiana is one of only two undefeated teams remaining in the Top 25 polls – No. 3 Tennessee is 13-0 and is the other unbeaten. Two of the Cajuns’ opponents at the upcoming Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., are also members of the Top 10 – No. 2 Texas (24-1) and No. 9 Michigan (11-5). On Tuesday, the Lady Cajuns also moved up in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. Louisiana-Lafayette climbed three spots in that poll going from No. 15 to No. 12. The Ragin’ Cajuns are off to a school-record best start at 17-0 and have two more doubleheaders scheduled before departing for the Judi Garman Classic – UL visits Louisiana Tech on Saturday, March 11 and hosts Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday, March 14. Louisiana's rise in the 2006 Polls USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Poll Feb. 8 No. 18 Feb. 15 No. 16 Feb. 22 No. 14 March 1 No. 11 March 8 No. 10 ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Poll Feb. 7 No. 21 Feb. 14 No. 19 Feb. 21 No. 16 Feb. 28 No. 15 March 4 No. 12 LOUISIANA SI