Lady Cajuns Sweep Monroe

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GAME 1
LOUISIANA La. - The 11th-ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team ended its season-high, four game losing streak using a nine-hit attack to claim a 4-3 victory over in-state rival Louisiana-Monroe here Tuesday evening at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park in game one of a doubleheader.

The Ragin' Cajuns (23-7) got two hits apiece from Danyele Gomez, Crystal
George and Tiffany Hebert as the squad posted its highest hit total since posting 11 hits against Centenary on March 12.

Heather Bobbitt and Brooke Mitchell combined for 11 strikeouts and held the Indians to three hits.

Louisiana pushed across two runs in its first at bat taking advantage of three walks from ULM starter Jennifer Braley. Braley issued back-to-back walks to Jill Robertson and Danyele Gomez and Brittany Bryant followed with a single into left field. Braley's third walk of the inning, issued to Lacey Bertucci scored Robertson for a 1-0 Cajuns lead.

A sacrifice fly off the bat of Joy Webre scored Gomez two batters later and gave the Cajuns the early 2-0 lead.

A four-hit fourth inning plated two more runs for the Ragin' Cajuns - two extra runs the squad was glad to have following a shaky defensive seventh inning.

George led off with a double into center field. Two batters later Hebert laid down a bunt single to move George to third base. After a Braley wild pitch moved Hebert to second base, Gomez came through with a timely single down the left field line to score both baserunners and push the Cajuns lead to 4-0.

ULM (10-29) scored its first run of the contest in the fifth inning on a Nicole Bethurum RBI single that plated Kristen Baker who had drawn a one-out walk.

Bobbitt was easing along until three errors in the top of the seventh inning helped the Indians close the gap to 4-3. Heather Hanson started off the inning by sending a bunt down the third base line which Bryant picked up but her throw sailed out of Lacey Bertucci's reach at first base allowing Hanson to reach base.

Bobbitt appeared to work out of trouble when she notched back-to-back strikeouts, but the error bug struck the Cajuns defense again. It started with Bryant booting a grounder from Heather Williams followed by Hebert allowing a routine grounder to go through her legs which rolled into left center field allowing two runs to score.

Bobbitt picked up the victory and improved to 4-0. Her eight strikeouts moved her to 59 for the season which is a new personal best. Mitchell started the game throwing two innings and could not be credited with the victory as a starting pitcher must pitch four innings of a seven inning game.

The win was the Cajuns seventh straight over ULM and improved the squad to 11-1 this season against Louisiana schools.

LOUISIANA SI

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GAME 2LOUISIANA SI - The 11th-ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team made it a perfect day at the park with a 9-0 run rule rout of in-state rival Louisiana-Monroe in game two of a Tuesday evening doubleheader at Ragin' Cajuns Softball Park.

The Cajuns bolted out to a 5-0 lead after one inning of play and pitcher Ashley Kirchberg scattered three hits while striking out five as Louisiana picked up its fourth doubleheader sweep of the season and moved to 24-7 on the season.

It marked the 58th doubleheader sweep in 67 twinbills under co-head coaches Stefni and Michael Lotief and extended the Cajuns win streak over ULM to eight games.

The Cajuns roughed up Indians starter Lindsay Rittenhouse for four hits in the first inning with a Joy Webre two-RBI double into the right center field gap pushing the lead to 3-0.

All three runs came before an out was recorded as Jill Robertson led off with an infield single, Danyele Gomez walked and Brittany Bryant reached on an error by Heather Hanson to score one run and Webre's double scoring two more.

A Lacey Bertucci solo homerun over the center field wall in the fourth inning followed by a three-spot in the fourth inning capped off the scoring for the Ragin' Cajuns.

The homerun was Bertucci's 10th of the season - a new personal season-best for the sophomore slugger.

The Indians second error of the game started the Cajuns fourth inning and led to two runs before any outs were recorded. Tara Hamilton reached on a fielding error by Lindsay Schafer and her pinch runner, Tiffany Hebert, was brought home on a RBI double off the bat of pinch hitter Michelle Bergeaux. Bergeaux scored on the next at bat when Codi Runyan, making her second straight start, lofted an RBI double off the left center field wall to push the advantage to 8-0.

Deserea Griffin concluded the scoring with a sacrifice fly deep into center field - the second RBI of her career and first career sacrifice fly.

ULM never posed a threat to Kirchberg who collected her second complete game shutout of the season and moved her record to 3-1.

The Ragin' Cajuns will enjoy the remainder of spring break as the team has no games scheduled for the rest of the week. After taking the weekend of April 1-3 off, No. 11 Louisiana-Lafayette will be back in action on Wednesday, April 6 in a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Nicholls State in Thibodaux, La.

The Cajuns next home outing takes place on Saturday, April 9 as the squad hosts New Mexico State in a 1 p.m. doubleheader to begin Sun Belt conference play.

LOUISIANA SI