Late homer bails out Cajun Women

[NewsCopy]

Just when the nightmare looked to be getting worse, Brittany Bryant bailed out the University of Louisiana softball team Sunday afternoon. Bryant's solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning kept the Ragin' Cajuns from suffering their second gut-wrenching loss of the afternoon, providing the winning margin in a 7-6 victory over Western Kentucky in the nightcap of their Sun Belt Conference doubleheader. The visiting Hilltoppers had stunned the 13th-ranked hosts 8-0 in the opener, with freshman pitcher Ryan Rogge no-hitting the nation's second-ranked offensive team. Then, in the nightcap, WKU left fielder Alana Towns hit the Cajuns with another body shot with a sixth-inning grand-slam home run that capped a comeback from six runs down and tied the game 6-6. UL, in danger of losing its first-ever Sun Belt series, turned to Bryant, one of six seniors honored in pregame ceremonies prior to their final regular-season home game. The Beaumont, Texas, product delivered, taking an Adrienne Lathrop rise ball over the left-field fence for her 11th homer of the year. "Lacy (UL assistant coach Lacy Prejean) told me before I came up to make this the best at-bat of my life," Bryant said. "Thanks for the pressure. But I knew she (Lathrop) was going to throw me the rise ... I'd popped it up twice, and was just trying to hit the middle and get a hit." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[CajunRed]

The Lady Cajuns really seem to be struggling right now... part of that, I'm sure, is because we all have such high standards and expectations for Ragin Cajun Softball. All three games this weekend were losable... they won the Saturday game in 10 by 1 run... got mercy ruled in the first game Sunday, then barely held on to win the 2nd Sunday game by 1 run.

What gives... and what does this mean for being successful in post-season play?

[DieHard1280]

The Lady Cajuns really seem to be struggling right now... part of that, I'm sure, is because we all have such high standards and expectations for Ragin Cajun Softball. All three games this weekend were losable... they won the Saturday game in 10 by 1 run... got mercy ruled in the first game Sunday, then barely held on to win the 2nd Sunday game by 1 run.

What gives... and what does this mean for being successful in post-season play?

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I am hoping that they are about to do something similar to what the 2000 baseball Cajuns did, starting out red hot, struggling a little in the middle of the season, and getting hot at just the right time to make a push into the World Series. Hoping is the operative word there. I am also more than a little worried. It seems like the pitchers had their confidence shaken during the tough stretch against so many ranked teams, and have never gotten it back. I am really just speculating, though, as I have not been able to watch any of their games. It's a good thing they are having a record year offensively, because if they weren't, the record would be much worse. Maybe they can turn it around.

GEAUX CAJUNS!!!!!!!!!!