Lady Cajuns Return To Action Saturday Hosting La. Tech In Afternoon Twinbill
No. 6 Louisiana-Lafayette set to make its oubleheader debut of theseason against longtime rival
LOUISIANA La. - Barring any last-minute developing weather pattern the sixth-ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team will return to action on Saturday in a 1 p.m. doubleheader against long-time rival Louisiana Tech at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park.
The set will mark the first doubleheader of the season for the Ragin' Cajuns (15-2) who were rained out in their last attempt to return to action on Wednesday at Northwestern State in Natchitoches.
No. 6 Louisiana-Lafayette is coming off of a 3-1 weekend at the 10th Annual NFCA Leadoff Classic in which the Ragin' Cajuns defeated DePaul, San Diego State and North Carolina. In their last competitive game at counted toward the record, the Cajuns were dealt a 2-1 loss to No. 16 Georgia. Last Sunday's game with Seton Hall was called off in the third inning due to rain and the Cajuns haven't hit the playing field against a team other than themselves since.
Senior ace hurler Brooke Mitchell pitched three complete-game shutouts and fanned 38 batters over 27 innings at the Leadoff Classic. Mitchell held the opposition to just four hits out of the infield the entire weekend as she showed signs of getting into a roll as the season moves along.
Lacey Bertucci continues to pace the Cajuns offense with a .420 batting average, seven home runs and 21 RBI - all team bests. Louisiana-Lafayette still has six starters with a batting average above .300 and the collective unit is hitting .311.
Mitchell is once again the stronghold for the pitching staff. The Pasadena, Texas, native is 12-2 this season with a minuscule 0.36 ERA. She has crafted three solo shutouts and nine complete games.
Fans in attendance Saturday may bear witness to another Mitchell record-breaker. The Cajuns all-time career leader in strikeouts could become the all-time career leader in victories. Mitchell needs just two more wins to pass up former All-American Kyla Hall who currently holds the career victories record with 104. Mitchell enters the La. Tech doubleheader with a career mark of 103-22.
The Lady Techsters (8-11) enter the doubleheader on a three-game losing streak after dropping their final three outings in the Compass Bank Invitational in Waco, Texas, last weekend. Tech lost to Birmingham-Southern College 3-2 in their last outing.
Acadiana native and Teurlings Catholic High School product Ashley Cameron leads the Techsters in every power-hitting category. Cameron is tops on the Tech team with six doubles, four home runs, 13 RBI and a .611 slugging percentage. As a team, La. Tech is hitting .236 but has had trouble at the plate drawing just 39 walks to 124 strikeouts.
Pitching-wise Lindsey Meadows is tops with five victories and 74 strikeouts. Kristin Rupp leads the staff in ERA with a 2.93. Meadows has issued just eight free passes over 80 2/3 innings.
One of the most competitive in-state series for the Cajuns softball program in the early stages of the rivalry, Louisiana-Lafayette has dominated the Lady Techsters over the past 11 years.
The Cajuns lead the series 34-30, but the edge can be a bit misleading. Since 1993, Louisiana-Lafayette has won 25 of the 30 meetings between the two schools including the last 13 straight. UL is 9-0 under head coach Stefni Lotief against the Lady Techters.
Louisiana-Lafayette beat Tech three times during the 2004 season. The Cajuns won 11-0 in Lafayette during the 18th Annual Louisiana Classics then swept an April 14 twinbill in Ruston by identical counts of 4-1.
La. Tech's last win came on April 25, 1998, a 3-1 win in Ruston.
LOUISIANA SI
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