LADY CAJUNS 2-0 in KIA CLASSIC FACE OLYMPIC TEAM TODAY

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LADY CAJUNS CRANK OUT FOUR HOMERUNS IN 10-3 WIN OVER DEPAUL

FULLERTON, Calif.-A five-run third inning was all the Cajuns needed here Thursday in a 10-3 win over DePaul at the Kia Klassic. In game one, University of Louisiana starting pitcher Brooke Mitchell (20-2) retired the side in the first two innings.

DePaul starting pitcher Tracie Adix (0-4) retired the first two Lady Cajuns batters she faced in the top of the first inning. Sophomore All-American Danyele Gomez then sent a 0-2 pitch over the left field fence to give the Cajuns a 1-0 lead.

Ashley Evans followed it up with a single to left field. Joy Webre grounded out to the shortstop to end the Cajuns half of the first frame.Louisiana-Lafayette starting pitcher Brooke Mitchell struck out the first
two Blue Demons, before forcing Saskia Roberson to pop up to Brittany Bryant to end the first inning.

DePaul’s Christina Douglas singles through the left side in the bottom half of the second to give the Blue Demons their first base runner of the game. Douglas was later thrown out by Webre trying to steal second. Her sister, Sarah Douglas, fouled out to Gomez to end the inning.

Tiffany Hebert led off the third inning with a double down the right field line. Hillary Guidry reached on an error by the third baseman, which also advanced Hebert to third.

Guidry reached on a fielding error by the third baseman, scoring Hebert to give the Cajuns a 2-0 lead. Holly Tankersley fouled out to the short stop for the first out. Gomez then reached on a fielding error by the right fielder. Evans then struck out for the second out.

With two runners on, Webre sent a three-run homerun over the left field fence to increase the Cajuns lead to 5-0. Bryant took the next pitch she saw over the left field wall for a 6-0 Cajuns lead. Lacey Bertucci lined out to right field to end the third inning.

Mitchell allowed her second base runner of the game when * Doezie singled in the bottom of the third. Doezie later scored on a Sarah Martz bunt single. Linda Secka laid down the second bunt in a row to give DePaul to runners with two outs. Roberson plated Martz on a double to right field to cut the Cajuns lead to 6-2.

Mitchell got out of the jam, forcing Jessica Evans to ground out to end the third inning.

The Cajuns were only able to produce one base runner in the next two innings to keep the 6-2 advantage.

In the fourth, Mitchell gave up a lead-off walk, followed by a hit batter and a Gomez fielding error to load the bases with nobody out. Christina Douglas was thrown out in a rundown between third and home for the first out. Doezie and Sara Bandauski both flied out to end the inning.

Mitchell got herself into another bases-loaded jam in the fifth, but allowed one run to cut the Cajuns lead to 6-3.

In the top of the sixth, Leslie Pierce hit a two-out, pinch-hit homerun to left field, increasing the Cajuns lead back to five runs, 8-3.

In the top of the seventh, Tankersley struck out to lead off the inning. Gomez drew a walk, followed by an Evans single to second. Webre walked to load the bases with one out. Bryant drew a one-out walk, scoring Gomez to increase the lead to 9-3.

Lacey Bertucci sent a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Evans. Christine Collins pinch hit for George, but popped up to the short stop to end the inning.

LOUISIANA SI

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BERTUCCI’S TWO-RUN HOMERUN DEFEATS CAL STATE-FULLERTON 3-1

FULLERTON, Calif. - Freshman first baseman Lacey Bertucci launched a two-run homerun in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Lady Cajuns a 3-1 victory over Cal State-Fullerton at the Kia Klassic Thursday night.

The win is Louisiana head coach Stefni Lotief’s 175th win of her career. The Cajuns improve to 27-3 overall with the victory.

Mitchell (21-2) entered this weekend’s tournament needing only 26 strikeouts to eclipse the school’s single-season strikeout record (279) she set just a year ago. After today’s 22-strikeout performance, Mitchell needs only four K’s to break the record.

In game two, Cal State-Fullerton starting pitcher Brooke Weekley (4-8) retired the side in the first. Guidry led off with a single to center. Holly Tankersley flied out to center for the first out. Hillary Guidry then was thrown out trying to steal second, followed by a Danyele Gomez ground out to end the inning.

Mitchell allowed a run and hit and struck out three in the first inning.

In the top of the second, Tiffany Hoff hit her first-career homerun as a Titan, a solo effort, to give Cal State-Fullerton a 1-0 lead. Mitchell then struck out the two batters, while getting Monica Tantlinger to foul out to Gomez to end the inning.

In the bottom of the inning, Ashley Evans led off with a single to right field. Joy Webre, Brittany Bryant and Lacey Bertucci were retired in order to end the inning.

Mitchell struck out the Titans side in the top of the third.

In the Cajuns’ half of the third, Crystal George took a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall, tying the game 1-1. Weekley retired the next three batters she faced to end the third inning.

Mitchell gave up her first hit in two innings, with a single from Candice Baker in the fourth. Two batters later, Jenna Wheeler blooped a single between Gomez and George, advancing Baker to third. Wheeler advanced to second on the throw.

Gomez delivered a stand-up double to deep center field to lead off the bottom of the fourth. Three batters later, Bryant drew a two-out walk to put two runners on. Leslie Pierce, pinch-hitting for Bertucci, grounded out to end the inning.

Mitchell again retired the Titans side in the top of the fifth to keep the score knotted 1-1.

In the bottom half of the fifth, George, Tiffany Grayson (pinch-hitting for Hebert) and Guidry were retired in order by Weekley.

Bryant led off the seventh inning with a walk, before Bertucci launched the two-run, game-winning homerun to dead center field.

LOUISIANA SI