Published: Friday, May 30, 2008
COLLEGE SOFTBALL WORLD SERIES: Ragin' Cajuns stun top-seeded Florida in softball college world series
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Louisiana-Lafayette might be a bit off the beaten path in the college sports landscape. However, it felt like home to Ashley Brignac.
And after leading the Ragin' Cajuns to a big-time upset in her Women's College World Series debut, Brignac has Lafayette back on the map.
Brignac (31-6) struck out a career-high 15 batters and Holly Tankersley hit a solo home run to center field off NCAA wins leader Stacey Nelson in the eighth inning as the Ragin' Cajuns upset top-seeded Florida 3-2 Thursday.
Brignac, who played on the U.S. junior national team, visited several other schools but ended up signing close to home at the Sun Belt softball power that had been to the World Series four times before.
In her freshman season, she has the Cajuns back in the Series for the first time since 2003 -- and the Gators (67-4) on the brink of elimination.
The Ragin' Cajuns advance to face fifth-seeded Texas A&M (55-7), which beat Virginia Tech 1-0. The only run came in the sixth inning, when third baseman Charisse Mariconda threw wildly to first on Megan Gibson's grounder, allowing pinch-runner Andrea Tovar to score from second.
Gibson (39-1) threw a five-hit shutout to give the Aggies their first win at the World Series since 1988 -- one year after their last of two NCAA titles.
Angela Tincher (38-9), the national player of the year, struck out nine and allowed just two hits for unseeded Virginia Tech (49-18).
"I thought Tincher was everything that she is made out to be. She lived up to her billing. She did a nice job against us," Aggies coach Jo Evans said. "The team that made the big mistake ended up taking it on the chin."
UCLA (51-7) also got an unearned run off Arizona ace Taryne Mowatt to beat the two-time defending champions 1-0, and face Arizona State tonight.
The Sun Devils moved on with a 3-1 win against Alabama, taking advantage of a leadoff intentional walk to Kaitlin Cochran and a close call on a line drive down the third-base line to score three runs in the seventh inning.
Lesley Rogers doubled in Cochran, a .448 hitter, with one out and then came around to score the winning run on Mandy Urfer's two-run double that appeared to nick off third baseman Kelley Montalvo's glove as she dove into foul territory.
And after leading the Ragin' Cajuns to a big-time upset in her Women's College World Series debut, Brignac has Lafayette back on the map.
Brignac (31-6) struck out a career-high 15 batters and Holly Tankersley hit a solo home run to center field off NCAA wins leader Stacey Nelson in the eighth inning as the Ragin' Cajuns upset top-seeded Florida 3-2 Thursday.
Brignac, who played on the U.S. junior national team, visited several other schools but ended up signing close to home at the Sun Belt softball power that had been to the World Series four times before.
In her freshman season, she has the Cajuns back in the Series for the first time since 2003 -- and the Gators (67-4) on the brink of elimination.
The Ragin' Cajuns advance to face fifth-seeded Texas A&M (55-7), which beat Virginia Tech 1-0. The only run came in the sixth inning, when third baseman Charisse Mariconda threw wildly to first on Megan Gibson's grounder, allowing pinch-runner Andrea Tovar to score from second.
Gibson (39-1) threw a five-hit shutout to give the Aggies their first win at the World Series since 1988 -- one year after their last of two NCAA titles.
Angela Tincher (38-9), the national player of the year, struck out nine and allowed just two hits for unseeded Virginia Tech (49-18).
"I thought Tincher was everything that she is made out to be. She lived up to her billing. She did a nice job against us," Aggies coach Jo Evans said. "The team that made the big mistake ended up taking it on the chin."
UCLA (51-7) also got an unearned run off Arizona ace Taryne Mowatt to beat the two-time defending champions 1-0, and face Arizona State tonight.
The Sun Devils moved on with a 3-1 win against Alabama, taking advantage of a leadoff intentional walk to Kaitlin Cochran and a close call on a line drive down the third-base line to score three runs in the seventh inning.
Lesley Rogers doubled in Cochran, a .448 hitter, with one out and then came around to score the winning run on Mandy Urfer's two-run double that appeared to nick off third baseman Kelley Montalvo's glove as she dove into foul territory.
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