ULL 10, USA 2
MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team fell Sunday afternoon in the series finale to Sun Belt Conference leader Louisiana-Lafayette 10-2 in five innings at Jaguar Field.
With the loss, the Jaguars are now 27-11 overall and 7-6 in conference play. With the series sweep, the Ragin’ Cajuns maintain their lead in the conference and improve to 32-6 and 10-2 in the league.
“We had a tough weekend,” USA head coach Becky Clark said. “When games like this happen, you make adjustments and I know what adjustments that need to be made. My job is to figure out what we need to differently and work on those things. This is a very tough conference and you have to be tough with it.”
ULL junior pitcher Ashley Brignac (18-3) was credited with the win after going five innings in the circle, striking out six and walking only two.
Brianna Cherry, Paige Cormier, Ericka Murphy and Katie Martin paced the Ragin’ Cajuns at the plate with two hits apiece. Cherry also recorded five runs driven in for Louisiana-Lafayette, while both her and Cormier each hit their second home run of the season.
Freshman pitcher Hannah Campbell (12-5) took the loss after going the distance in the circle. Jenny Stevens, Haley Richards, Haley Hopkins and Katy Neal all recorded one hit apiece for the Jags in the loss.
The Ragin’ Cajuns jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first scoring three runs on two hits. Christi Orgeron led off with a single to right and Sarah Draheim then reached on a walk. The next batter, centerfielder Cherry launched a bases clearing home run to right putting Louisiana-Lafayette up 3-0.
The Jaguars cut the ULL lead to one in the bottom half inning, scoring two runs on three hits. Stevens singled to short to start the inning. Richards then doubled to the right centerfield wall to advance Stevens to third. Brittany Fowler stepped up to the plate and recorded her team-leading 46th RBI of the season to score Stevens on a ground out. With one out, Hopkins then doubled to the right field fence driving in Richards. South Alabama threatened to do more damage, loading the bases with just one out, but Brignac was able to come up with the final two outs of the inning to get out of the jam. Brignac would go one to retire nine-straight USA batters.
Louisiana-Lafayette answered right back in the top of the second. Murphy and Smith recorded back-to-back singles to start the inning. Nerissa Myers then lined a double down the left field line to plate Murphy and advance Smith to third. Orgeron drew a walk and Draheim grounded out to second to plate Smith. Cherry then dropped a two-run single just over second base to score Orgeron and Myers. The next batter, Cormier launched a two-run homer over the left centerfield wall to bring Cherry home and extend the Ragin’ Cajun lead to 9-2.
In the fourth, ULL took a 10-2 advantage when Martin hit a RBI-single to drive in Cormier, who singled to begin the inning.
After the big first inning, Brignac would hold the Jags to just two base runners the rest of the way.
USA returns to action Wednesday night when they take on Florida Atlantic at 6 p.m. in the first a three-game conference series.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
—USA—
NOTES: The Jaguars are now 3-11 all-time against ULL … USA dropped its first conference series of the season against ULL … This is the first time this season that the Jags have been swept.
