UL - Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball team played their final home game of the season and came away with a 4-3 victory over the Houston Cougars on Tuesday night at Alfred and Helen Lamson Ragin’ Cajuns Softball Park.

Before the game, the Ragin’ Cajuns honored their three seniors – Amanda Hill, Karli Hubbard and Codi Runyan. The group of seniors helped lead the Ragin’ Cajuns to four Sun Belt Conference regular season titles, the 2008 Women’s College World Series, over 200 victories, four NCAA Regionals and the program’s first-ever Super Regional.

Offensively, the Cajuns collected just five hits, but scored four runs which proved to be enough as Louisiana’s pitching limited Houston to just three runs. Lana Bowers finished the game with a hit and drove in a pair of runs for the Cajuns.

In the circle, Brittany Cuevas picked up her fifth win of the season. She worked seven innings, scattering nine hits. Cuevas fanned five batters and picked up the complete game victory.

The Cajuns were the first team to score as they plated three runs in the first inning. Vallie Gaspard led off the game with an infield bunt single. She stole second and advanced to third on a Hubbard sacrifice bunt. Melissa Verde followed with her 41st walk of the season to give UL runners on the corners. Runyan followed with an RBI single to score the first run of the game. Christi Orgeron continued her hot play with an RBI double to left field. Gabriele Bridges walked to load the bases and Bowers drove home the final run of the inning as she reached on a fielder’s choice.

The Cougars cut the UL lead to just two as Elaina Nordstrom hit a solo home run to left field to make the score 3-1 in the fourth inning.

Houston chipped away at the Cajuns lead with a run in the sixth inning. With two outs, the Cougars got a single to center field to start things off. A walk extended the inning and gave UH a pair of base runners. The Cougars received an RBI single to plate the runner and cut the UL lead to 3-2.

The Cajuns responded with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning. With two outs, Gabriele Bridges walked to give Louisiana a base runner. Lana Bowers followed with a single to right center field. Bridges advanced all the way home to extend the Cajuns lead back to two runs at 4-2.

UH threatened in the top of the seventh inning but were only able to score one run. The Cougars led off the inning with a single. Following an out, a single up the middle gave Houston runners on the corners. A ground out recorded the second out of the inning but the UH runner scored from third. The Cajuns sealed the victory with a ground out to the pitcher.

The Ragin’ Cajuns softball team returns to action over the weekend as they head to Monroe, La. to take on the Warhawks of ULM in their final Sun Belt Conference series. The Cajuns and Warhawks open up the three game tilt with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon starting at 2:00 p.m. UL will wrap up the series against ULM with a single game on Sunday afternoon at 12:00 p.m.


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