COLUMBIA, S.C. — The 12th-ranked LSU softball team battled back in both games, falling short, 4-3, in the first game before taking the second game, 4-3, to open Southeastern Conference action on the road on Saturday afternoon at Beckham Field.
With the split, the Tigers moved to 17-4 overall and 1-1 in SEC play. The Gamecocks moved to 19-10 on the season and 4-1 in league action. The pair will play the rubber match on Sunday at noon (CST). The match-up will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Network in Baton Rouge on Country Legends 107.3 FM and on the internet at www.LSUsports.net.
Falling behind 4-0 after three innings in the third game, LSU rallied to score three runs in the top of the fifth inning to get back within one, but could not push the tying run across. In the second game, LSU went ahead 1-0 early, before South Carolina came back with the 2-1 lead. In the top of the seventh inning the Tigers scored a pair of runs to take the 3-2 lead. The Gamecocks tied the game in the bottom half of the inning on a wild pitch before Camille Harris hit the game-winning home run in the top of the eighth.
“I love the way this team fought back all day,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We had a real opportunity to win both games. We left 20 on base and that will get you beat. Everyone in the lineup had a chance to score runs, but they didn’t take advantage. I love the courage they showed and hopefully they will show the same spirit tomorrow and give us a chance to win the series.”
Despite an error in each of the games, LSU had an incredible day defensively. Only one ball all day got past the outfield, while shortstop Andrea Smith made several incredible plays in the second game. Lauren Delahoussaye made an outstanding play to save a run from scoring in the bottom of the seventh and catch Killian Roessner tagged out South Carolina’s Jessica Josker at home to keep the game-winning run from scoring for the Gamecocks in the bottom of the seventh inning on a wild pitch.
In addition to our outstanding play in the field, Smith led the team with a 3-for-7 performance from the plate with two doubles. Stephanie Hill also went 3-for-7 with a home run and three RBIs for the Tigers. On the day, LSU recorded seven doubles and two home runs.
Girouard moved to two games away from 1,000 career wins. With one game remaining in the series, she came now claim the milestone in Baton Rouge next week against nationally ranked Baylor.
In the top of the first inning of game one, LSU loaded the bases but could not push a run across. After South Carolina stranded a pair of runners in the bottom half of the first, the Gamecocks broke through with two runs in the second. With a runner on first and one two outs, Darcy Norem drew a walk on an illegal pitch that sent Chrissy Schoonmaker to second. Josker then tripled to left center, scoring Norem and Schoonmaker to give South Carolina the 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Gamecocks added a pair more. McKenna Hughes led off the inning with a single to center field. With one out, Lisa Longo homered to left field to five South Carolina the 4-0 advantage.
In the top of the fifth inning with one out, Lauren Castle drew a walk. Vanessa Soto then drove her second double of the game to left center field, scoring Castle from first and got the Tigers on the board. Hill then drove a monster shot over the left field fence for her fourth home run of the season to get LSU within one, 4-3.
Delahoussaye and Leslie Klein then drew walks to put runners on first and second. Roessner, pinch hitting for Kristen Hobbs, took the count to full and fouled off four pitches before flying out to deep center field to end the inning.
After LSU got out of the fifth inning with a runner and second with an inning ending double play, the Tigers had the tying run at second in the top of the sixth inning. With one out, Quilan Duhon singled up the middle.
She moved to second on a wild pitch, but back-to-back fly outs, including a warning track shot by Soto, ended the inning.
Emily Turner took the complete-game loss for the Tigers to fall to 8-2 on the season. She allowed four runs on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts.
Melanie Henkes started and earned the win for South Carolina to improve to 9-3 on the season. In four and a third innings, she allowed one run on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Aleca Johnson came on in relief in the fifth and allowed two runs on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts in two and two-thirds innings.
In the second game, LSU came out and took the lead in the top of the third inning. Castle led off with a double down the left field line and advanced to third on a throwing error by the left fielder. A single up the middle by Hill scored Castle from third to give the Tigers the 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, South Carolina came back to take the lead. The Gamecocks led off with back-to-back singles. On a sacrifice attempt by Schoonmaker, Soto missed the ball at first, allowing Schoonmaker to advance to second and Becky Martinez to move to third and Norem to score. With the bases loaded, Meghan Cornett singled though the left side to score Martinez and give South Carolina the 2-1 advantage.
LSU came back to take the lead in the top of the seventh inning. Duhon led off with a double down the left field line. A bunt single by Castle put runners at the corners with no outs. Soto then singled off the center field fence, scoring Duhon from third. Castle had to hold at first in case the ball was caught and only advanced to second.
A single by Hill loaded the bases with no outs. Heidi Robin then came in to run for Castle at third before Delahoussaye popped out to the second base for the first out. Leslie Klein then hit a ball to sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Robin from third and sending Soto to third and Hill to second. Roessner then fouled out on the warning track in left field to end the inning after the Tigers retook the lead, 3-2.
Schoonmaker led off with a double to left center to start the bottom of the seventh for South Carolina. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases for the Gamecocks. With two outs, a wild pitch scored Kristin Hall from third for the tying run. On a strikeout by Stefanie Norman, the ball got away from Roessner behind the plate, but she was able to tag Josker at home to send the game into extra innings.
In the top of the eight with one out, Harris slammed her second home run of the season to left center field to once again give LSU the lead, 4-3. With two on and an out after two walks in the bottom of the eighth, Tiffany Garcia was relived in the circle for Turner, who retired the final two outs in order to end the game.
Garcia earned the complete-game win to improve to 5-0 on the season. She allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits with six walks and four strikeouts in seven and a third innings. Turner came on in the eighth and retired both batters she faced, one by way of the strikeout, to earn her first career save.
Johnson took the loss for South Carolina in relife to fall to 2-1 on the season. She allowed one run on two hits with two strikeouts in two innings. Kate Pouliot started and allowed three runs on 10 hits with a walk and three strikeouts in six innings of work.
LSU 000 030 0 – 3 7 1
South Carolina 022 000 x – 4 5 0
Turner and Hobbs, Roessner (5). Henkes, Johnson (5) and Hughes. WP — Henkes (9-3). LP — Turner (8-2).
HR — Hill, Longo. T — 2:21.
LSU 001 000 21 – 4 12 1
South Carolina 000 020 10 – 3 6 2
Garcia and Roessner. Pouliot, Johnson (7) and Smith. WP — Garcia (5-0). LP — Johnson (2-1). S — Turner (1).
HR — Harris. T — 2:30. A — 375.