Cajuns Women Drop Final Game to FIU
UL - Louisiana’s softball team was hurt once again by errors as they fell to FIU, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon at Alfred and Helen Lamson Ragin’ Cajuns Softball Park.
The Cajuns committed four errors on the afternoon which led directly to two Golden Panther runs.
Karli Hubbard led all Cajuns offensively. The senior finished the game 3-for-4 with three stolen bases.
Gabriele Bridges finished with one hit, but made it count as she belted her team-leading 11th home run of the season.
Donna Bourgeois took the loss for the Cajuns. The sophomore worked a complete game, scattering four hits in 7.0 innings of work. She surrendered three runs, but just one earned run as the UL defense committed four errors on the day. Bourgeois struck out seven batters on the day, bringing her season total up to 168, just nine Ks shy of tying her 177 she had in her rookie campaign.
The Cajuns were the first to put a run on the scoreboard. Katie Smith led off the first inning with a walk. She stole second base on the first pitch to Hubbard. Hubbard moved Smith to third with a bunt single. With speed on the corners, Louisiana successfully executed the double steal, scoring Smith from third and giving UL a 1-0 advantage after one inning of play.
FIU knotted the score in the top of the second inning. With two outs, FIU got their first base runner of the game with a single to center field. A Ragin’ Cajuns’ error extended the inning and allowed the runner to score. The run was unearned, extending the Cajuns streak of consecutive innings without an earned run to 44.1 innings.
The Golden Panthers took their first lead of the series in the top of the third inning. FIU started the inning with a hit by pitch. The next batter attempted to move the runner over with a sacrifice bunt, but an errant throw by the Cajuns trying to eliminate the lead runner left the Golden Panthers with runners on first and second with no outs. A strikeout by Bourgeois recorded the first out of the inning, but a bloop single to right field loaded the bases for FIU. The next batter doubled off of the left center field wall to plate two runs and give the Golden Panthers a 3-1 edge. A strikeout and a fly ball ended the inning and got the Cajuns out of the jam.
One of the runs in the third inning was earned, snapping the Cajuns streak of 44.2 innings without allowing an earned run. It was the first earned run allowed by the Cajuns in seven games.
Louisiana looked like they were going to tie the game in the bottom of the second inning, but were unable to score any runners. With one out, Smith and Hubbard both singled and stole to move into scoring position. A shallow fly ball to left field was not deep enough to score Smith from third and a foul out to first base ended the inning.
UL cut the lead to just one run in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Bridges hit her team-leading 11th home run of the season. The solo shot to left field cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Ragin’ Cajuns return to action on Tuesday night as they play host to the McNeese State Cowgirls in a single game at Lamson Park. First pitch for the game Tuesday is slated for 6:00 p.m.
UL Press
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