COLUMBUS, Ga. — After falling to No. 19 Fresno State, 5-2, to close out pool play, the 10th-ranked LSU softball team rebounded with a 6-0 win over Michigan State in the first round of bronze championship bracket play on Saturday at South Commons Stadium.
With the split, the Tigers moved to 9-3 on the season and 2-2 in tournament play. After falling to Fresno State (4-1) in the final pool game, LSU advanced as the second seed to the bronze bracket to face seventh-seeded Michigan State. With the win, over MSU (1-7), the Tigers now advance to face DePaul, who defeated Florida Atlantic, 2-0, on Sunday at 11 a.m EST.
“We played better today,” said head coach Yvette Girouard. “In the first game, we had to keep the ball in the ballpark to give ourselves a chance to win. Other than that, we played pretty well against a very good pitcher. In the second game, I thought Megan (Jolly) played well.
“We have been in a funk lately where things just haven’t been going our way,” Girouard continued, “but today was a better day for us. I was happy with our fight and attitude. It was not pretty, but we never gave up and I give our team a lot of respect for that.”
The game against Fresno State was dominated by home runs, with all seven combined runs scored by way of the round tripper. The six home runs broke the NFCA Leadoff Classic record for combined home runs in a game, while the two each by Duhon and Fresno State’s Jamie Southern tied the individual record for homers in a game. In addition, the pair or home runs by Duhon tied the LSU single-game record.
Against Michigan State, LSU broke open a scoreless game in the top of the fifth inning with a run. In the seventh the Tigers exploded for five runs to put the game away. Lauren Castle and Vanessa Soto each went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.
The Tigers had runners in scoring position in the second and third innings, but could not push a run across against MSU. The Spartans got their first base runner in the bottom of the third on an infield single by Victoria Morache, but LSU held Michigan State from scoring with two infield outs and a strikeout.
In the top of the fifth, the Tigers took advantage of a Spartan error to get on the board. With two outs, Castle reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. A single up the middle by Camille Harris sent Castle to third before a single through the right side by Soto scored Castle and gave LSU the 1-0 lead.
The Tigers broke the game open with five runs in the top of the sixth. Duhon reached on a muffed throw by the first baseman to start the sixth inning. After Duhon was replaced by Dee Dee Henderson, Stephanie Hill singled up the middle and advanced to second on the throw as Henderson took third.
With one out and Lauren Uhle running for Hill at second, a fielder’s choice by Leslie Klein got Henderson out at home as Uhle went to third. After Klein moved to second on a wild pitch, a walk by Killian Roessner loaded the bases. Andrea Smith came up with a timely double to left field that scored Uhle and Klein. With runners on second and third, a single through the right side by Lauren Castle scored Roessner and Smith as Castle took second on the throw.
A walk to Camille Harris put runners on first and second. Castle then stole second before Harris stole third. A single through the right side by Soto scored Castle before she was caught in a rundown between first and second to end the inning with LSU leading 6-0.
Jolly earned the complete-game shutout to improve to 3-2 on the season. She allowed three hits with a walk, while striking out 10 in the game, her second double-figure strikeout performance of the season.
Lesley Noel started and took the loss for Michigan State. She allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits with a walk and a strikeout in five innings. Abby Lincoln came on in relief in the sixth and allowed three runs on four hits with two walks in two innings.
In the top of the first inning against Fresno State, Christina Clark led off with a double to left center. Southern then hit a home run down the left field line that just stayed fair to put Fresno State ahead 2-0.
The Tigers answered with one of their own in the bottom of the second inning. Duhon led off with a home run to left field, her fourth of the season, to get LSU within one, 2-1.
The Bulldogs got the run back in the top of the fourth inning. Leticia Pacheco led off the inning with a solo home run to left center field to give Fresno State the 3-1 advantage.
A pair of two-out home runs by the Bulldogs in the top of the fifth inning extended their lead to 5-1. Southern hit her second of the game to left field before Nichole Wilis hit one out down the left field line.
In the bottom of the seventh, Duhon connected with her second home run of the season to get LSU within three, 5-2, but the Tigers could get no closer as LSU went down in order after that to end the game.
Sophomore Emily Turner took the complete-game loss for the Tigers to fall to 4-1 on the season. She allowed five runs on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Southern threw the complete-game win for Fresno State to improve to 3-0 on the year. She allowed two runs on five hits with 10 strikeouts.
Fresno State 200 120 0 – 5 6 0
LSU 010 000 1 – 2 5 0
Southern and Willis. Turner and Hobbs.
WP — Southern (3-0). LP — Turner (4-1). HR — Southern 2, Pacheco, Willis, Duhon 2.
T — 1:29.
LSU 000 015 0 – 6 9 0
Michigan State 000 000 0 – 0 3 2
Jolly and Roessner. Noel, Lincoln (6) and Szawara.
WP — Jolly (3-2). LP — Noel (0-1).
T — 2:00.