UL's Kirchberg, Lewallen fill circle void

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LAFAYETTE — It might not make sense mathematically, but University of Louisiana at Lafayette softball co-head coach Stefni Lotief has two answers for the same problem. The solution for replacing a three-time All-American pitcher might at first seem unlikely — a pair of witty team pranksters who in their final seasons have become best friends after transferring to ULL from small colleges. When they’re not frightening teammates with fake insects and bedtime antics on road trips, seniors Ashley Kirchberg and Krystal Lewallen have posted serious but similar numbers in pitching the Lady Cajuns to their 16th NCAA Regional Tournament appearance in the last 17 seasons. ULL makes its eighth straight regional appearance starting at 4 p.m. Friday when the third-seeded Lady Cajuns (48-10) meet No. 2 North Carolina State (49-19) at LSU’s Tiger Park. N.C. State, in its third season of playing softball, won the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament by defeating Florida State. The Lady Cajuns won their seventh straight Sun Belt Conference title recebtkt and are 9-1 in the last 10 games. Kirchberg and Lewallen have both recorded 24 victories this season, giving UL and a pair of starters who are similar in style and the way they handle game situations. “You see most Division I teams and they have a dominant pitcher. I guess this team is different to have two who are both considered No. 1 pitchers,” said Kirchberg. At the start of the season, Lotief, whose ULL teams are 259-52 in five seasons, was seeking a starting pitcher to replace Brooke Mitchell, who recorded 1,309 strikeouts in four seasons. The rest of the story By BOB ARDOIN Special to The Advocate

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The Lady Cajuns won their seventh straight Sun Belt Conference title recebtkt and are 9-1 in the last 10 games.

recebtkt?