Ashley Brignac went 3-0 in the circle, while hitting two home runs at the plate.
SPRING, Texas - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team played its only outside competition of the fall this past weekend by playing 10 games at the College Classic, competing against two teams that played in the Women's College World Series last season (Baylor and Texas A&M).
Ashley Brignac (River Ridge, La.) was 3-0 in the circle, logging wins over Alvin Community College, Baylor (9-0) and Texas State (6-0). In the highlighted game against Baylor, Brignac, the 2007 Gatorade High School Softball Player of the Year, faced off in the circle against Kirsten Shortridge, the 2006 Gatorade High School Softball Player of the Year. Brignac dominated the Baylor hitters giving up two bunt singles in five innings of work, striking out 10. Brignac struck out the side in the first, second and fourth innings.
The Cajuns broke open the game in the second inning plating five runs. After Jessica Dupont (Alexandra, La.) walked to lead off the inning, Gabby Bridges (Lafitte, La.) hit a towering shot over the left field fence to give UL the early 2-0. Brooke Brodhead (Lafayette, La.) and Karli Hubbard (Lafayette, La.) had singles in the inning and Vanessa Soto (San Diego, Calif.) added a two run single to right field.
Louisiana added four runs in the fifth inning to extend their lead to 9-0. Bridges added a two run double in the Cajuns fifth and Meagan Godwin (Bridge City, Texas) delivered a sacrifice fly to left field which scored Courtney Trahan (Maurice, La.) from third.
Donna Bourgeois (Lafayette, La.) was the starting pitcher against Texas A&M which the Cajuns eventually lost 3-2. Bourgeois held the Aggies hitless through six innings before finally surrending three hits in the seventh inning. The Cajuns outhit the Aggies 10 to 3, with Melissa Verde (Beaumont, Texas) delivering an RBI double in the third inning, giving UL a 1-0 lead.
The Cajuns extended their lead to 2-0 in the fourth as Brodhead doubled with one out and later scored on a Lana Bowers (Crosby, Texas) RBI single. Dupont was 3-for-4 at the plate against the Aggies.
UL pitchers worked a combined 65 innings, striking out 65 batters. Brittany Cuevas (Brazoria, Texas) was 1-0-1 in the tournament with the win coming against Stephen F. Austin (12-1) and the tie to Texas Tech (6-6), striking out 24 batters in 14 innings of work. Bourgeois pitched 12.1 innings, recording nine strikeouts. She was the hard luck loser to both Texas A&M and Houston (3-1). Amanda Hill (Tomball, Texas) and Shari Sigur (Lafayette, La.) each posted wins over Galveston College.
The Cajuns hit 13 home runs in 10 games, with Verde, Bridges, Brignac and Laura Anne Hagle (Broussard, La.) each hitting two. Brodhead, Soto, Dupont, Godwin and Bourgeois each added one home run.
Katie Smith (Ruston, La.) led UL at the plate, hitting .529, with nine hits in 17 plate appearances, scoring eight runs and recording four stolen bases. Dupont hit .467 for the tournament with a home run, while Bridges hit .435 with two home runs and seven RBI. Verde hit .400 with two home runs, three doubles and seven RBI.
Soto hit .346 with a double, a triple, a homerun and six RBI. Kelly Cormier (Abbeville, La.) recorded nine hits in 12 plate appearances, hitting .750 and scoring four runs with three RBI. As a team the Cajuns hit .349.
The Cajuns will next be in action when the regular season begins on February 8.