BATON ROUGE — Senior Ashley Kirchberg won her 15th straight decision and struck out 11 in a complete game shutout as third-seeded UL-Lafayette defeated second-seeded North Carolina State, 2-0, in the opening game of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional at Tiger Park.
The Ragin Cajuns (49-10) won their eighth consecutive game and advanced to play the winner of LSU-Princeton in a winner’s bracket contest at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The Wolfpack (49-20) lost for the first time in five tries after capturing its first-ever ACC Championship a week ago. NC State will play the loser of the LSU-Princeton contest at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Kirchberg (25-1), the 2006 Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year, limited the Wolfpack to no runs on two hits, walked four and struck out double-digit batters for the seventh time this season.
Left fielder Danyele Gomez delivered an RBI triple in the third, and designated player Holly Tankersley provided an insurance run in the sixth with an RBI double.
Centerfielder Karli Hubbard singled off NC State starter Abbie Sims to start the third, and Gomez followed with her second triple of the year when the centerfielder and right fielder collided. Hubbard came into score and gave UL-L an early 1-0 lead.
Kirchberg cruised through the first four innings, allowing her first hit of the game when Sims singled through the left side in the fourth.
However, the Wolfpack nearly knotted the game at one apiece in the fifth on a two-out single from shortstop Shana Smith. Smith attempted to drive in first baseman Lisa Nentwig, who reached on a one-out walk, but right fielder Ashley Evans made the defensive play of the game.
Evans threw out Nentwig at the plate with catcher Jessica Lemoine blocking her way and applying the tag to preserve the 1-0 score.
Tankersley increased the advantage to 2-0 with an RBI double in the sixth, which proved to be more than enough run support for Kirchberg, who hurled her 13th complete game shutout of the season.
Kirchberg struck out the final five batters of the game, including three consecutive punchouts in the ninth.
Sims (23-13) took the loss, surrendering two runs on three hits while walking six and striking out eight.
2006 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional
Game 1: (3) Louisiana-Lafayette vs. (2) North Carolina State
May 19, 2006
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE QUOTES
Co-Head Coach Stefni Lotief
Opening statement…
“It was an exciting start and I think it was a great game. Both teams battled on the field and I am really proud of our team with their good start.”
On the importance of getting the win…
“It’s always important to get every win that you can, especially in a four team tournament where there is stiff competition. To win the first one says a lot because if you lose the first one it puts you in a pretty bad position the way the tournament is set up.”
On Kirchberg’s pitching…
“She was outstanding. I think that she was in control of the game and she found the umpire’s strike zone and went from there.”
Pitcher Ashley Kirchberg
On the game…
“I wasn’t very nervous. Normally I have to calm down before but this time I felt good and I was warm. I just really felt good going into game.”
2006 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional
Game 1: (3) Louisiana-Lafayette vs. (2) North Carolina State
May 19, 2006
NORTH CAROLINA STATE QUOTES
Head Coach Lisa Navas
Opening Statement
“I thought we played well, we didn’t play well enough to win. We didn’t get the hits we needed to, and we didn’t have timely hitting. They had some big hits, so we came up on the short end of the stick.”
First Baseman Lisa Nentwig
On her slide into homeplate…
“Coach was sending me the whole way. As I was going home, I tried to slide around the outside, but she was blocking the entire plate. It was a great catch and a great play.”
Pitcher Abbie Sims
On her pitching throughout the game…
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team that swung that hard every time. I tried to stay on the outside corner and that’s where I lived, and they got on top of it.”