Donna Bourgeois tied a career-high with 14 strikeouts as Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball took two in a doubleheader against Florida Atlantic on Tuesday evening at Lamson Park. On the day, Bourgeois and Brittany Cuevas fanned 22 batters combined, winning 6-4 in game one and 4-2 in game two.

Bourgeois has accomplished the feat on two other occasions. First was against Ole Miss on Feb. 9, 2009. She did it again versus McNeese State on April 7 that same season.

The offense also stepped up for UL with double-digit hits in both contests.

The Cajuns are now 30-14 with an 11-3 mark in the Sun Belt. FAU falls 21-22 and 6-8 in the league.

GAME ONE
The Cajuns roughed up the Owls in the day’s first game, scattering 14 hits and holding on to a 6-4 victory.

Cuevas started the contest, proving why she was named last week’s Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week. Through three innings the senior hurler fanned six batters and retired the first eight Owls in a row.

The Cajuns did all of their damage in the third inning scoring six runs on six hits. Erikka Murphy and Nerissa Myers led off the third with back-to-back singles. Both scored on Christi Orgeron’s 14th double of the season. More runs scored after a RBI-single from Lana Bowers and a RBI-double from Melissa Verde. Slappers Kelly Cormier and Vallie Gaspard posted RBI-singles of their own to closeout the inning with the 6-0 lead. Gaspard’s hit stretched her hitting-streak to 10 games.

FAU’s Jessica Myers got the Owls on the scoreboard with a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the fourth.

An error on the Cajuns allowed FAU to score in the top of the fifth, cutting UL’s lead in half 6-3.

A two-out, solo homer by Ashlyn Parameter drew the Owls to within two runs, 6-4, in the top of the seventh. But FAU was not able to get any closer to the Cajuns’ lead.

Cuevas (15-6) finished the game with eight strikeouts and no walks.

Seven Cajuns recorded a hit with four players having a multi-hit performance at the plate. Orgeron was 4-for-4 with two RBI. Cormier was 3-for-3 with one RBI. Verde and Gaspard had two hits each.

GAME TWO
The Cajuns jumped out on the Owls again in the night cap during the first inning. UL loaded the bases on three singles and eventually scored on a two-out, RBI-single by Britni Soria.

But the Owls were able to erase the deficit with a two-out, two-run homer by Kerri Croney in the top of the third.

UL responded with a two-out, two-run home run of their own by Gabriele Bridges. It was Bridges’ 12th deep-ball of the season.

Bourgeois protected the Cajuns’ lead, retiring the next nine batters. She fanned eight batters, striking out the side in the fifth and sixth inning.

With one out in the top of the seventh, FAU placed runners on first and second after an error and a walk. But back-to-back strikeouts by Bourgeois sealed the win.

Bourgeois is now 15-8 on the season. While tying her career-high in strikeouts, the junior pitcher failed to walk a single batter in all seven innings. She allowed just four hits on the evening.

Gaspard and Soria led the offense with two hits each.

UL will wrap up the series against the Owls tomorrow at 5 p.m. CT.

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