LOUISIANA La. — It was hard for Ashley Evans not to think, “Oh no, not again.”

Just as she was hitting her stride as the Cajuns’ No. 4 hitter, the Louisiana sophomore was injured in the Kia Klassic in March while making a catch against the U.S. Olympic Team.

“Lisa Fernandez hit a shot to right center field,” Evans said. “She hit it so hard that it knocked me back, and when I came down my knee went into my chest and it fractured cartilage in my rib cage.

“I was nervous, because last year I broke my hand and had to take a medical redshirt. I played in the next game, but then had to sit. It was hard to tell my coaches that I couldn’t play against Arizona in a playoff game at the Kia.

“I was just getting into the swing of things and starting doing everything right. I was lucky it wasn’t worse.”

Time has helped Evans, a former West Monroe star who has played in 45 games and has 37 starts.

“I went home and got treatment,” Evans said. “The doctor told me to take a week off, and if I could deal with the pain I could play.

“The worst thing was having muscle spasms in my back. Each time I hit the ball it hurt. It’s hard to watch the team play without me. I had to get back out there.”

The Cajuns don’t want to do that, not with Evans hitting a team-leading .343 with 6 home runs and 26 runs batted in.

“Coach Michael Lotief works with me every day on my swing,” Evans said. “I’ve been working since my freshman year trying to get it right, and I’m trying something different this year.

“(Freshman) Holly Tankersley and I talk back and forth all the time, and now I know I can do it each time.”

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com