COLUMBUS, Ga. - Four home runs in the fourth inning, including two by Christi Orgeron, was all it took as No. 18 Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball overpowered No. 20 UMass, 14-0 in five innings, on the final day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The Cajuns would go through the batting order twice, scoring 13 runs in the inning on 10 hits and two errors by the Minutewomen.
With their first win over a ranked team this season the Cajuns improve to 10-5.
Erikka Murphy would be the first Cajun to cross the plate early in the first. A single to left would put the speedy slapper on first. She would steal second and move to third on a ground out by Melissa Verde. She would then beat out the play at the plate after a wild pitch by UMass' Sara Plourde.
After grabbing the 1-0 lead, the next six Cajuns would go down on strikes. Another single by Murphy in the top of the third would break up a streak of eight consecutive outs for UL, including seven strikeouts.
But in the fourth inning, UL's bats would get hot.
Orgeron would give the Cajuns some breathing room to start the fourth inning. Facing a 0-2 count and a stiff breeze from right field, the sophomore slugger was able to put the Cajuns up 2-0 with a solo home into right center.
Gabriele Bridges looked to follow suit, sending one deep to right field but the ball was dropped by the Jordan Storro. Bridges would reach second and be replaced with pinch runner Courtney Trahan. A base hit by Bowers would put two on base for the Cajuns. With no outs, Taryn Broussard would drive one deep to left field for her second multi-run home run of the weekend with a three-run home run.
A walk, an error and a base hit would load the bases and two more runs would score after a single through the right side by Melissa Verde. Orgeron then hit her second home run of the inning, a three-run shot to right field, giving the Cajuns a 10-0 lead.
Bridges would go back-to-back, sending the Cajuns' fourth home run over right centerfield.
Still in the fourth with the bases load, Vallie Gaspard would hit a two-RBI single and Murphy would follow with a RBI-single of her own.
Eleven Cajuns would plate a run in the rout. Murphy would lead the way in the batters' box going 4-for-4 with one RBI. Orgeron wrapped up the day 2-for-3 with four RBI. Six other Cajuns would also record a hit.
Donna Bourgeois (4-4) pitched five innings in the shutout, striking out six and walking one. UMass managed just two hits on the afternoon.
Next on the slate for the Cajuns will be a trip to the Razorback Invitational, March 5-7 in Fayetteville, Ark. The Cajuns will face Drake, Arkansas, Eastern Illinois, Southern Miss and Iowa State over the weekend.