UL Softball Sweeps Doubleheader From Middle Tennessee

The seventh-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajun softball team picked-up two more victories on Saturday afternoon, sweeping a Sun Belt Conference doubleheader from the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Louisiana won both games in five-innings, mercy-rule style, capturing the opener, 8-0, before taking the nightcap, 9-1.

In the first game, outfielder Christi Orgeron drove in five runs, including a grand slam home run, her fourth slam of the year, to guide the Cajuns to the win.

Ashley Brignac (14-2) recorded the win for UL, throwing a five-inning, one hit shutout, while Shelby Stinnett (5-6) suffered the loss for the Blue Raiders.

Below is the game one box score.

2012 Ragin' Cajuns Softball
#7 Louisiana at Middle Tennessee (Game 1)
Apr 14, 2012 at Murfreesboro, Tenn (Blue Raider Field)

Louisiana 8 (36-2,11-2 Sun Belt) Middle Tennessee 0 (12-23,2-8 Sun Belt)

Player                    AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB           Player                    AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------           ------------------------------------------------------
Fernandez, Natalie 3b.... 2 2 2 0   2 0 2 2   0           Nina Davenport cf........ 2 0 1 0   0 1 0 0   0
Smith, Katie lf.......... 3 2 2 0   0 0 1 0   0           Nina Dever 2b............ 2 0 0 0   0 1 2 3   0
Myers, Nerissa ss........ 1 2 1 2   1 0 2 0   0           Natalie Ysais c.......... 2 0 0 0   0 0 2 1   0
Orgeron, Christi rf...... 2 1 2 5   1 0 2 0   0           Kaycee Popham 1b......... 2 0 0 0   0 0 8 0   1
Haack, Matte 1b.......... 2 1 1 0   0 0 3 0   2           Kelsey Woodruff rf....... 2 0 0 0   0 0 2 0   0
Cherry, Brianna cf....... 2 0 0 0   1 1 0 0   0           Laura Dukes dh........... 2 0 0 0   0 2 0 0   0
Draheim, Sarah c......... 3 0 1 0   0 0 5 0   2           Chelsea Good lf.......... 2 0 0 0   0 1 0 0   0
Cormier, Paige 2b........ 3 0 0 0   0 0 0 1   1           Samantha Nieves ss....... 1 0 0 0   0 0 1 2   0
Murphy, Erikka dh........ 3 0 0 0   0 1 0 0   0           Kristi Marquez 3b........ 1 0 0 0   0 0 0 1   0
Brignac, Ashley p........ 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0   0           Shelby Stinnett p........ 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 2   0
Caitlin McClure p....... 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0   0
Totals................... 21 8 9 7   5 2 15 3   5           Totals................... 16 0 1 0   0 5 15 9   1

Score by Innings R H E
--------------------------------------
Louisiana........... 005 30 - 8 9 0
Middle Tennessee.... 000 00 - 0 1 0
--------------------------------------

DP - MT 2. LOB - UL 5; MT 1. 2B - Myers(11); Orgeron(11). HR - Orgeron(14). HBP - Myers; Haack. SB - Haack(3); Draheim(6).
CS - Fernandez(4).

Louisiana              IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP               Middle Tennessee       IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP
--------------------------------------------------               --------------------------------------------------
Brignac, Ashley..... 5.0 1 0 0 0 5 16 16 59               Shelby Stinnett..... 3.1 7 8 8 3 2 16 21 72
Caitlin McClure..... 1.2 2 0 0 2 0 5 7 27

Win - Brignac (14-2). Loss - Stinnett (5-6). Save - None.
HBP - by Stinnett (Myers); by Stinnett (Haack). Pitches/strikes: Brignac 59/42; Stinnett 72/41; McClure 27/12.
Umpires -
Start: Time: 1:16 Attendance:

In the second game, Louisiana scored four unearned runs in the first inning, then added five more unearned runs in the fourth, taking advantage of seven Middle Tennessee errors, to cruise to the victory.

Orgeron blasted her 15th homer of the year, and drove in two more runs, giving her seven on the day, and 72 on the year.

Freshman right-hander (20-0) kept her perfect record intact, allowing only three hits, and two walks, while striking out seven.

Caty Jutson (5-12), was charged with the loss.

View the second game box score below.

2012 Ragin' Cajuns Softball
#7 Louisiana at Middle Tennessee (Game 2)
Apr 14, 2012 at Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Blue Raider Field)

Louisiana 9 (37-2,12-2 Sun Belt) Middle Tennessee 1 (12-24,2-9 Sun Belt)

Player                    AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB           Player                    AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------           ------------------------------------------------------
Fernandez, Natalie 3b.... 4 2 0 0   0 0 2 0   1           Nina Davenport cf........ 3 0 0 0   0 1 1 0   0
Smith, Katie lf/pr....... 2 2 0 0   0 0 0 0   0           Nina Dever 2b............ 3 0 1 0   0 1 1 0   0
Granger, Megan ph....... 1 0 0 0   0 0 0 0   0           Natalie Ysais c.......... 3 1 1 1   0 0 5 1   2
Myers, Nerissa ss........ 3 2 0 1   0 0 0 2   0           Kaycee Popham 1b......... 2 0 0 0   0 1 3 1   0
Orgeron, Christi rf...... 1 1 1 3   2 0 1 0   0           Kelsey Woodruff rf....... 1 0 1 0   1 0 2 0   0
Waterman, Megan rf...... 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0   0            Katherine Tucker pr..... 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0   0
Haack, Matte 1b.......... 3 0 2 2   0 0 3 0   0           Chelsea Good lf.......... 0 0 0 0   1 0 1 0   0
Draheim, Sarah c......... 3 0 0 0   0 0 8 0   1            Bethany Jones ph........ 1 0 0 0   0 1 0 0   0
Cherry, Brianna cf....... 3 1 1 0   0 1 1 0   0           Laura Dukes dh........... 2 0 0 0   0 2 0 0   0
Cormier, Paige 2b........ 3 1 1 0   0 0 0 0   1           Kristi Marquez 3b........ 2 0 0 0   0 1 1 3   3
Murphy, Erikka dh........ 3 0 0 0   0 1 0 0   0           Samantha Nieves ss....... 2 0 0 0   0 0 1 2   0
Wallace, Jordan p........ 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 1   0           Caty Jutson p............ 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0   0
Totals................... 26 9 5 6   2 2 15 3   4           Totals................... 19 1 3 1   2 7 15 7   5

Score by Innings R H E
--------------------------------------
Louisiana........... 400 50 - 9 5 1
Middle Tennessee.... 100 00 - 1 3 7
--------------------------------------

E - Cherry(5); Dever(6); Ysais(2); Popham 2(10); Marquez(11); Jutson 2(4). LOB - UL 4; MT 5. HR - Orgeron(15); Ysais(4). SB
- Smith(16); Myers(15). CS - Orgeron(1).

Louisiana              IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP               Middle Tennessee       IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP
--------------------------------------------------               --------------------------------------------------
Wallace, Jordan..... 5.0 3 1 1 2 7 19 21 81               Caty Jutson......... 5.0 5 9 0 2 2 26 28 90

Win - Wallace (20-0). Loss - Jutson (5-12). Save - None.
WP - Jutson(3). Pitches/strikes: Wallace 81/55; Jutson 90/56.
Umpires -
Start: Time: Attendance:

With the wins, UL improved to 37-2 overall, and 12-2 in Sun Belt Conference play, while Middle Tennessee fell to 12-24 overall, and 2-9 in league play.

UL senior pitcher Ashley Brignac

The series finale is set for Sunday at noon.

You can hear all the play-by-play action on Sports Radio, and espn1420.com, beginning with the pre-game show, at 11:40 am.