UL - Louisiana’s Lady Cajuns softball tandem of Donna Bourgeois (Lafayette, La.) and Brittany Cuevas (Brazoria, Texas) combined a dozen strikeouts as UL (7-0) shutout Mississippi Valley State, 9-0, in the night cap of the Louisiana Classics Softball Tournament.

The Lady Cajuns pitching staff recorded 12 of the 15 outs in the game by way of strikeout.

Bourgeois got things going early for the Cajuns. The first six outs UL recorded all came on Bourgeois strikeouts. The freshman from Lafayette tossed three innings, finishing with seven total strikeouts. She walked one and allowed just two hits.

Cuevas entered the game in the fourth inning and closed the door of any potential comeback by the Devilettes. Cuevas fanned five of the seven batters she faced, allowing just one hit.

The Lady Cajuns offense did the rest.

Holly Tankersley (Kirbyville, Texas) finished the game, 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs and four RBI. It was the 10th multi-homer game of Tankersley’s career, and gave the senior 52 home runs for her career.

Brooke Brodhead (Lafayette, La.) and Karli Hubbard (Lafayette, La.) both finished the game with a pair of hits. Brodhead had a pair of doubles and two RBI, while Hubbard collected two singles.

The Cajuns broke the scoreless deadlock in the third inning with a seven-run inning. Hubbard started off the inning with a bunt single back to the pitcher. She stole second to give the Cajuns their first runner of the game in scoring position. A Katie Smith (Ruston, La.) single gave UL runners on the corners. A wild pitch plated the first run of the game for the Cajuns. Smith stole third and came home on a throwing error by the catcher. Melissa Verde (Beaumont, Texas) drew a base on balls and came around to score as Tankersley belted a home run to right field.

Vanessa Soto (San Diego, Calif.) followed with a double to right center field and Gabriele Bridges (Lafitte, La.) walked to give UL a pair of base runners. The runners advanced on a foul out, and both came around to score on a Brodhead double down the left field line. A ground out moved Brodhead to third and an infield single by Hubbard plated the final run of the inning and gave UL a 7-0 advantage.

The Cajuns added a pair of insurance runs in the fourth inning. Verde reached on a fielding error by the first baseman and Tankersley cranked her second homer of the game. This time an opposite field shot over the left field fence.

The Ragin’ Cajuns will wrap up the Louisiana Classics Softball Tournament on Sunday afternoon with a televised game with Southern Miss at 3:30 p.m.

RaginCajuns.com

Chris Whitehead