UL Softball Baton Rouge Regional Flashback: 2010

The 14th-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun softball team will travel to Baton Rouge this weekend, to take part in the Baton Rouge Regional.

Louisiana, who will be making their 22nd-consecutive regional appearance, including their 30th in the last 31 years, will be part of a four-team field that also includes top-seeded LSU, along with George Washington and McNeese St.

Play begins on Friday at Tiger Park, with LSU facing McNeese St. at 3 o'clock, before Louisiana takes on George Washington at 5:30 in the double-elimination format.

Louisiana will enter the regional with an overall record of 44-10.

The Cajuns have advanced to a number of Super Regional in recent years, winning five-straight regionals, from 2012-2016, as well as six of their last nine and seven of their last 11.

Louisiana fell on Championship Sunday to LSU in both 2017 and 2018, after winning the three previous times they went there, in 2008, 2010, and 2013.

Today we look back at that one of those regional championships, the 2010 Baton Rouge Regional:

On the first day, Louisiana picked up a big win, blanking the Texas A&M Aggies, 5-0.

The Cajuns jumped on top early, when Melissa Verde singled in the first inning, before Gabriele Bridges crushed a 2-run home run, to give them a quick 2-0 lead.

Louisiana managed to give themselves a little breathing room in the 5th, scoring an unearned run, to make it 3-0, before adding two insurance runs in the 6th, including a run-scoring double by Bridges, her third RBI of the game, to wrap up the scoring.

While Bridges was the offensive star, Brittany Cuevas was fabulous in the circle, tossing a five-hit shutout, while striking out 8.

That put UL in the winner's bracket on Saturday against top-seeded LSU, who defeated McNeese St. on Friday, 6-0.

Just like on Friday, pitching was the story for Louisiana on Saturday, as Donna Bourgeois threw a complete-game shutout, her 10th of the season, to guide the Cajuns to a 1-0 victory over the Tigers.

Like Cuevas a day prior, Bourgeois was superb, scattering five hits, while fanning five.

Freshman shortstop Nerissa Myers was the difference, from an offensive standpoint, singling home the game's only run in the 4th inning.

The win over LSU moved Louisiana into Championship Sunday with an undefeated record, as they awaited an opponent.

In the second game on Saturday, Texas A&M eliminated McNeese St., 2-0, before also eliminating LSU, 1-0.

That set up the finals, pitting Louisiana against Texas A&M.

The title game wasn't much of a contest, as the Cajuns put on a hitting clinic, banging out 14 hits, including two in each inning, as they cruised to a 6-1 triumph over the Aggies, giving them their second regional title over a three-year timespan.

Bridges provided one of the big blows, with a 3-run homer in the 4th inning.

Again, the pitching was stellar for the Cajuns, as Cuevas recorded her second win of the regional inside the circle, allowing only one run on four hits, while coaxing 12 ground ball outs.

Over the weekend, Cuevas and Bourgeois combined to allow only one run on only 14 hits in 21 innings.

Both pitchers were named to the All-Regional Team, along with Myers, Vallie Gaspard, and Bridges, who was also tabbed the Most Valuable Player.

Louisiana didn't fare as well as they would have liked in the Super Regionals, dropping two-straight games to UCLA, but their championship in the 2010 Baton Rouge Regional is one that many Cajun fans won't soon forget.