note: as of yet there has been no reporting on win 2
Louisiana's softball team made quick work of its first Saturday opponent and had things much easier the second time around in its nightcap of the Mardi Gras Classic at Ragin' Cajun Softball Park.
UL pounded out 17 hits in a 15-0 victory over Prairie View A&M Saturday afternoon, and after surviving a nail-biter with Ole Miss on Friday the hosts followed the pitching of Brooke Mitchell to a 6-2 win over the Rebels in Saturday's nightcap.
The two wins put the Cajuns (4-0) into the driver's seat for the tournament title entering today's final day of play. UL meets Sam Houston at 2:30 p.m. in today's third game, with McNeese meeting Ole Miss at 10 a.m. and Northwestern State facing Prairie View at 12:15 p.m.
Ashley Kirchberg and Heather Bobbitt handled the pitching duties in the one-sided win over PVA&M, allowing UL to rest ace Mitchell for Saturday night's rematch with the Rebels. And Mitchell made that strategy add up, checking Ole Miss (2-2) on two hits - only one out of the infield - and fanning 10.
Those strikeouts puts her at 998 for her career, giving her a strong shot at becoming the 28th player in NCAA Division I history to go over 1,000 in today's tournament finale. She had fanned 14 in the 3-0 win over Ole Miss on Friday and seven more in a late 12-0 win.
Joe Webre provided the decisive blow in the Saturday win over the Rebels, who already led 3-0 and had the bases loaded in the fourth. Webre rifled a double down the left-field line to clear the bases and take a 6-0 lead.
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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com