Farewell to Lady Cajun Seniors

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Brittany Bryant
Krystal Lewallen
Ashley Kirchberg
Ashley Evans
Danyele Gomez
Leslie Pierce

Brittany Bryant: (2B, 5-8, Sr., Beaumont, Texas-West Brook High) UL's all-time leader in career walks ... Currently hitting career-high .301 with 10 homers and a career-high 42 RBIs ... Has started all but two games at second base and recently moved into leadoff slot in batting order. Lotief on Bryant: "She's been our second baseman since she got here as a freshman. When she came in, I'm not sure if she really believed in herself and thought she could play on this level, but she's continued to get better. She's the type that is never satisfied with what she did yesterday." Ashley Evans: (RF, 5-7, Sr., West Monroe-W. Monroe) Currently ranks fifth nationally in home runs (19) and fifth in UL career lists ... Two-time All-Sun Belt selection ... Hitting .327 with career-high 47 RBIs and has not committed an error this year. The rest of the story

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The six seniors on this year's University of Louisiana softball team make up what coach Stefni Lotief calls a very special class. It has also been a very productive one. The Class of '06 includes the program's all-time home-run and RBI producer, a three-year starter who ranks among the top five homer hitters, a four-year infield starter who has reached base more than any Cajun in recent memory, and both halves of this year's pitching tandem that has combined for 40 wins and a 1.70 ERA. The class has also been responsible for an overall record of 199-38 over the past four years. But Lotief looks less at the numbers and more at the individuals. "The biggest thing to me is how much they've matured as people," Lotief said. "I still remember when most of them came here as freshmen, and now they're all on track to graduate. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com