UL - -Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns received a complete game effort from Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week Donna Bourgeois (Lafayette, La.) as the Cajuns extended their winning streak to 11 games, downing Florida Atlantic 5-1 in the opening game of a three-game Sun Belt Conference series.

Bourgeois worked 7.0 innings, scattering three hits. She allowed one unearned run during the game and struck out 10 batters. The game marked the second time in her young career with double-digit strikeouts. The Cajuns improved to 15-4 on the year when they record 10 or more strikeouts.

Offensively, the Cajuns were led by Vallie Gaspard (Maurice, La.), Katie Smith (Ruston, La.) and Melissa Verde (Beaumont, Texas). The trio all collected a pair of hits in the game.

Holly Tankersley (Kirbyville, Texas) had just one hit in the game, but made it count. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the senior slugger blasted her NCAA-leading 18th home run of the season.

The Cajuns were the first team to scratch the scoreboard. In the first inning, the Cajuns scored two runs without the benefit of a hit. Gaspard and Tankersley drew back-to-back walks and advanced into scoring position thanks to a wild pitch. Vanessa Soto (San Diego, Calif.) worked the count full before drawing a free pass of her own. The payoff pitch was in the dirt and sailed by the catcher scoring Gaspard from third and leaving UL with runners on the corners. An RBI ground out plated Tankersley and gave the Cajuns a quick 2-0 first inning lead.

The Cajuns scored two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs, Verde singled through the right side of the infield. Shari Sigur (Lafayette, La.) entered the game to run for Verde and advanced to second on a Karli Hubbard (Lafayette, La.) bunt single. Smith followed with a bunt single of her own, but the ball got away from the FAU second baseman who was covering first on the play allowing Sigur to score and Smith and Hubbard to advance to second and third, respectively. An RBI single by Gaspard plated Hubbard, but a mental mistake by the Cajuns – being off the base while the pitcher had the ball in the circle – ended the inning.

In the fifth inning, UL added a run on a Tankersley home run. The blast over the scoreboard in right field was the senior’s NCAA-leading 18th home run of the year. For her career, Tankersley now has 66 bombs.

The Cajuns surrendered an unearned run in the top of the seventh, but finished off the Owls, claiming the 5-1 victory.

Ragin' CAjuns.com

Chris Whitehead