Game One Box
Game Two Box

LAFAYETTE, La. – Ashley Ray belted her ninth home run of the season for the Nicholls State University softball team, but No. 17 Louisiana-Lafayette (38-6) hit five long balls which drove in 11 runs as the Ragin' Cajuns took both games of a Tuesday night doubleheader by mercy-rule in six innings, 8-0 and 11-2, at Lamson Park.

Nicholls (9-30) was limited to five hits each in both contests with Brittany Marcet tying her career high in hits with three singles in game one. Whitney Roan and Katie Holmes accounted for the other two hits in the opener, and Megan Gaspard was held to 0-for-3, snapping her 11-game hitting streak which was the 10th longest current streak in the NCAA.

In the second game, Laine Strickland had an RBI single in the fourth to trim ULL's lead to 2-1, and facing her former team, Ray hit a solo shot to left in the next inning, moving her into sole possession of third place in the conference. However, the Ragin' Cajuns used four homers which included two 3-run bombs from Gabriele Bridges – her last being a walkoff in the sixth - to take the contest 11-2.

Gaspard, Marcet and Kandace Boudreaux had the other three hits for the Colonels.

Ashton Bennett threw a complete game in the first outing, giving up eight runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings of work. In the second game, Katie Moulder shutout the high-power ULL offense through the first two innings, but ended up taking the loss after tossing 4.1 innings. She would surrender six earned on five hits while Carlee Winklemann threw an inning, giving up four runs on three hits.

The Colonels return to Southland Conference play this weekend with a three-game set at the University of Texas-San Antonio, beginning on Friday with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Live audio will be available courtesy of ThibodauxOnline.com.