ULL 5, USA 1
ULL 13,USA 2
MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team dropped both games of its Sun Belt Conference doubleheader against league-leader Louisiana-Lafayette, ranked 19th in nation, Saturday afternoon, falling 5-1 in the opener and 13-2 in game two.
“We didn’t have a god day today,” USA head coach Becky Clark said. “We have the players to compete with this club, so we need to make the adjustments that we need to make to come out tomorrow and compete with this club.”
In the first game of the day, Ashley Brignac (17-3) was credited with the win after recording a complete game with seven strikeouts, allowing just one run.
Jaguar freshman pitcher Hannah Campbell (12-4) took the loss as she went the distance in the circle.
Offensively, the Jaguars (27-10, 7-5 SBC) were led in the opener by senior short stop Jenny Stevens with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate. Christin Crocker, Carolina Mendoza and Britany Campbell each added one hit a piece for the Jags.
Paige Cromier led ULL (31-6, 9-3 SBC) at the plate going 2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI.
The Ragin’ Cajuns struck first with two outs in the top of the second. ULL second baseman Cromier singled to deep left center to become the first Cajun batter to reach base. Megan Granger followed with a bloop single to shallow right field, plating Cromier and giving ULL the 1-0 advantage.
In the top of the fourth the Jaguars rallied to tie the game. Crocker dropped a double into shallow right field and after Mendoza reached on an error by the short stop, USA had runners at the corners. Katy Neal then brought in Crocker when the South Alabama catcher reached on a fielder’s choice.
USA was unable to keep the momentum long as Louisiana-Lafayette answered right back with three runs on two hits in the fifth, all coming with two outs in the inning. Christi Orgeron and Gabriele Bridges drew back-to-back walks and ULL catcher Sarah Draheim then stepped up to the plate and bounced an RBI-single back up the middle to bring Orgeron home. On the play, Bridges also came around to score on a throwing error by Neal trying to pick Draheim off at second. Cromier then singled to nearly the exact same spot to plate Draheim and extend the Ragin’ Cajun lead to 4-1.
In the seventh, Louisiana-Lafayette added an insurance run when Bridges hit her 16th homer of the year over the left centerfield wall, increasing the ULL advantage to 5-1.
South Alabama was able to keep game two close throughout the first six innings, but ULL broke the game open with a 10-run seventh inning as the Jags fell 13-2 in the final game of the doubleheader.
ULL jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first scoring one run on one hit. Lead-off hitter Nerissa Myers tripled to deep right center and then advanced home on a wild pitch. Jaguar starting pitcher Morgan Druhan (8-5) walked the next two batters, but the sophomore right-hander was able to work out of the jam and limit the Ragin’ Cajuns to just the one run. Control problems would be an issue for Druhan as she walked 12 Cajun batters in the contest.
Louisiana-Lafayette tacked on one run in the top of the fifth after Orgeron drew a walk to begin the inning. The ULL right fielder then moved all the way around to third on a single from Bridges. Draheim followed with a sacrifice fly to the deepest part of the park to drive in Fernandez, who pinch ran for Orgeron and increase the Cajun lead to 2-0.
The Jaguars cut the Ragin’ Cagin lead to one in the bottom of the fifth. Haley Richard’s laid down a bunt single and Meghan Collins followed with a double to left center. With two outs, Mendoza walked to load the bases and Stevens then recorded her 22nd RBI of the year when she singled through the right side to drive in Richards.
ULL answered right back in the top of the sixth scoring one run to stretch its lead back out to 3-1. With two outs in the inning and runners at first and second, Druhan recorded two-straight wild pitches, the latter plating Myers, who had singled earlier in the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Fowler again trimmed the deficit to one when sophomore led off the frame and launched her seventh home run of the season over the left field wall. The Jaguars threatened to take the lead later in the inning after back-to-back singles from Crocker and Richards, but game one winner, Brignac came in for relief and forced the final out of the inning to end the threat.
After only recording four hits through the first six innings the Cajuns broke open the game in the top of the seventh scoring 10 runs on eight hits. The Cajun inning was highlighted by Oregon’s two-run homer to left and Cormier’s three-run double.
Staked with the big lead, Louisiana-Lafayette starting pitcher Christina Hamilton (7-1) reentered the game in the bottom half of the inning and retired the Jags in order, earning the win. In her six innings of work, she struck out five and allowed just two runs.
Richards and Collins led the Jags at the plate each with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
Myers and Katie Smith paced the ULL offense with three runs apiece.
USA returns to action Sunday at noon in the series finale.
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).
NOTES: The Jags fall to 3-10 all-time against ULL … Brittany Fowler is now tied with Christen Crocker, Jenny Stevens and Haley Hopkins for the team-lead in home runs (7) … USA has dropped its last three Sun Belt Conference games.
—USA—
