Too much, too late
ULL used a couple of big innings late in Saturday's championship game to defeat FAU and claim the Sun Belt title.
Originally published on
5/9/2009
by
Chuck King
> Saturday's championship game box: ULL 8, FAU 3
> Saturday's early game: FAU 6, WKU 5
Seventh-seeded Florida Atlantic’s improbable run at the Sun Belt Conference softball tournament didn’t reach the finish line as the Owls fell to Louisiana-Lafayette 8-3 in Saturday's championship game in Denton, Texas.
The top-seeded Ragin’ Cajuns repeated as Sun Belt champions, breaking open a 1-1 game by scoring four runs in the top of the sixth and adding three more in the seventh.
ULL has won all but one title since the Sun Belt’s began sponsoring softball. FAU’s championship in 2007 is the lone blemish on the Ragin’ Cajuns streak.
“I thought we competed very well today, it’s just that we lost it in the final two innings” FAU coach Joan Joyce said.
The two Owls to earn All-Tournament honors gave FAU (30-30) the early lead. Amy Bukavich doubled home Blair Bodemiller in the bottom of the first to put the Owls up 1-0. The Ragin’ Cajuns tied the game on Lana Bowers’ home run to left in the top of the fourth inning.
ULL (43-11) broke the game open in the top of the sixth, scoring four runs. One run was already home when FAU pitcher Rose Gressley issued back-to-back bases-loaded walks, then a run-scoring wild pitch, before being lifted from the game.
“Rose gets where she just starts trying to aim the ball and once she starts trying to aim the ball she slows down and can’t get it over the plate,” Joyce said.
FAU added a run in the bottom of the sixth by taking advantage of two ULL errors, and an error contributed to the Owls' run in the seventh.
Florida Atlantic reached the championship game by defeating Western Kentucky 6-5 earlier on Saturday. FAU trailed at three different points in that contest and needed a two-run seventh inning rally to finally put the Hilltoppers away.
The loss to ULL likely ends the season for FAU. The Ragin’ Cajuns will accept the Sun Belt Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, which begins Friday.
GameBrowser: ULL 8, FAU 3
Owl-star performance: Blair Bodenmiller went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Stat download: 3 – walks issued by FAU starting pitcher Rose Gressley. FAU did not draw a walk.
Instant message: “I just told them they had a good tournament, unfortunately I don’t like to lose.” - FAU coach Joan Joyce on her post-game remarks to the team.
Up next: The NCAA announces its tournament pairings on Sunday, but the Owls aren’t counting on seeing their name in the brackets.