BATON ROUGE - As UL's lead-off batter, sophomore Vallie Gaspard understands her job description.
"My job is to get on base," said the speedy Maurice native. "I know someone behind me is going to pick me up and get those runs in."
Teammate Vanessa Soto gladly accepted that responsibility on Friday.
Soto was a one-woman wrecking crew at the plate as the second-seeded Ragin' Cajuns edged No. 3 East Carolina, 2-1, in the opening round of the Baton Rouge Regional at Tiger Park. The LSU transfer finished with a game-high two RBIs on a pair of run-scoring singles in the first meeting between the programs.
Facing an 0-2 count in the bottom of the fifth, Soto delivered an RBI single off ECU starter Brooke Swann to snap a 1-1 tie. The senior's hit brought in Gaspard, who reached on an error to open the inning.
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Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • May 17, 2008