STARKVILLE, Miss. — The 25th-ranked LSU softball team dropped a heartbreaking Southeastern Conference doubleheader to Mississippi State on the road, 13-11 and 4-1, on Wednesday evening at the Bulldog Diamond.
The Tigers (17-13, 1-10 SEC) fought back from a 10-run deficit after three innings in the first game to put the tying run at the plate in the seventh inning, falling two runs shy of tying the game up and sending it into extra innings. In the second game, LSU held a 1-0 lead into the sixth inning before giving up four runs to the Bulldogs (23-15, 5-6 SEC).
“We’re winning the little battles,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We just have nothing to show for it yet.”
The final game of the series is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. on Thursday. The broadcast can be heard on the LSU Sports Network in Baton Rouge on Country Legends 107.3 FM. Live statistics and the broadcast can also be accessed at www.LSUsports.net.
Errors and home runs were a problem for the Tigers in both games. Eight unearned run in the bottom of the third inning, including four on a grand slam by MSU, put the Tigers in a big hole in the first game. LSU fought back and scored four in the fourth, two in the sixth and three in the seventh and had a chance to tie it up in the end.
Four runs, all unearned, including three on a Bulldog home run, gave Mississippi State the win in the second game. Pitcher Emily Turner took a one-hitter into the sixth before two LSU errors allowed one run to score and the inning to continue. Turner then gave up what proved to be the game winning runs on a home run to Callye Williams with two outs.
Turner took the losses in both games to fall to 8-8 on the season. In the first game, she allowed four runs on three hits in a third of an innings. She came back strong in the second game before allowing the four unearned runs in the sixth. She finished the game with four hits allowed and seven strikeouts in the complete-game effort.
In game one, Vanessa Soto went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored. Andrea Smith went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run for the Tigers. Lauren Delahoussaye also went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. In addition, Stephanie Hill posted a multiple-hit game, going 2-for-5 for the game.
Lauren Castle knocked in LSU’s lone run in the second game. After Kristen Hobbs reached base and was pinch run for by Dee Dee Henderson, she stole second. An infield ground out by Camille Harris moved Henderson to third before Castle singled up the middle for the run.
In game one, LSU took the early lead, as leadoff hitter Harris drove a 2-2 pitch over the center field fence to give the Tigers the 1-0 advantage. It was the fourth home run of the season for Harris and the 17th of her career.
The Bulldogs came back to take the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Katie Cooley drew a leadoff walk. With one out, Courtney Bures singled to left field, sending Cooley to second. A single to left field by Tanelda McDonald scored Cooley and a fielding error by Leslie Klein in left field sent Bures to third and McDonald to second. Jennifer Jessup then hit a three-run home run to right field to give Mississippi State the 4-0 lead.
After Turner hit Williams, she was relieved by Megan Jolly in the circle. Jolly then struck out Katie Johnson. On a slow ground ball to first, Hill misplayed the ball, allowing Lindsay Hunley to reach and Williams to move to third. Jolly then struck out Nikita Boyce to end the inning.
In the top of the third inning, Hobbs led off with a single through the left side. After Henderson pinch ran for Hobbs, she stole second on a strikeout by Harris. A single through the right side by Castle scored Henderson from second.
Hill then singled through the left side to move Castle to second. Unfortunately, Klein hit an infield fly to the pitcher and Quinlan Duhon grounded out to third to end the inning, but not before the Tigers cut the MSU lead to two, 4-2.
The Bulldogs got the run back and extended their lead in the bottom half of the inning. Jessup reached on a fielding error by Delahoussaye to start the inning. As sacrifice bunt moved her to second before a single by Johnson put runners on the corners. A squeeze bunt by Hunley scored Jessup from third and sent Johnson to second as Hunley reached.
A ground out moved the runners to second and third before Jolly walked Cooley to load the bases. Michelle Kinney, pinch hitting for Keri McFarling, knocked a grand slam to left field to clear the bases. Bures and McDonald hit back-to-back doubles that gave the Bulldogs the 10-2 lead.
Tiffany Garcia then relieved Jolly in the circle. She walked Jessup on four straight pitches to put runners on first and second. Williams then doubled off the left field fence, scoring both McDonald and Jessup. Hunley then grounded out to second to end the inning.
Undeterred, LSU put together a rally in the top of the fourth. Back-to-back doubles to left field by Soto and Delahoussaye scored Soto. Smith then singled to center, sending Delahoussaye to third. Melissa Massey then relieved Stephanie Comeaux in the circle for the Bulldogs. With Heidi Robin pinch running for Smith, she stole second as Delahoussaye scored on the delayed double steal.
Back-to-back walks to Harris and Castle loaded the bases for the Tigers. After Hill popped into the infield fly for the second out, Klein singled up the middle, scoring Harris and Robin. A ground out by Duhon ended the inning, but not before LSU scored four runs to cut the Bulldog lead to 12-6.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Tigers got a pinch hit single down the left field line by Erika Sluss to lead things off. After Harris was hit by a pitch, the pair advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly by Castle scored Lauren Uhle, pinch running for Sluss, and moved Harris to third. A passed ball scored Harris from third to bring the score to 12-8 Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs added a run in the bottom of the sixth. Cooley led off with a walk. She moved to second on a fielder’s choice by McFarling. With two outs, McDonald singled to right field, scoring Cooley from second for the 13-8 advantage.
LSU would not go quietly as Soto led off with a single through the right side to lead off. A single down the left field line by Delahoussaye put runners on first and second. Smith then homered off the left field foul pole, the first home run of her career, to get the Tigers within two runs, 13-11.
Kelli Miller then came on in relief of Sara Hickerson. With one out, Harris drew a walk. A fielder’s choice by Castle got Harris going to second for out number two before Hill grounded out to second base to end the game.
Turner started and took the loss for the Tigers, falling to 8-7 on the season. She allowed four runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout in a third of an inning. Jolly came on in relief and allowed seven unearned runs on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts in two and a third innings. Garcia closed it out for LSU, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits with six walks and one strikeout in the final three and a third innings.
Comeaux started for the Bulldogs. She allowed five runs on eight hits with two strikeouts in three innings. Massey came on in relief in the fourth and allowed three runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts in two and a third innings. Hickerson came on in the sixth and allowed three runs on three hits in two-thirds innings. Miller relieved Hickerson in the seventh and allowed one walk in an inning of work to earn her the win and improve to 7-4 on the season.
In the top of the third inning in the second game, LSU got its first scoring opportunity. Hobbs reached on an error by McDonald at third. Henderson came in to run for her and stole second. A ground out by Harris moved Henderson to third. Castle then singled up the middle to score Henderson and give the Tigers the 1-0 lead.
Mississippi State broke up the no-hitter by Turner with one out in the bottom of the fourth. The hit was nullified as Jessup popped into a double play to end the inning. Smith caught the pop fly deep in the hole behind second and gunned down McDonald, who had strayed a bit to far from first.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Cooley led off with a full-count walk. With one out, a fielder’s choice by Bures got Cooley at first, but a throwing error on the double play attempt by Smith allowed Bures to move to second. A passed ball sent Bures to third before McDonald walked.
A fielding error by Delahoussaye allowed Bures to score as McDonald went to second and Jessup to reach first. Williams then hit a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence to give Mississippi State the 4-1 lead. Back-to-back singles by Johnson and Kinney put runners on the corners. Turner then struck out Hunley swinging to end the inning.
Turner took the complete-game loss. She allowed four unearned runs on four hits with four walks and seven strikeouts. Miller earned the win for the second-straight game to improve to 8-4 on the year. She allowed one run on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
LSU 101 402 3 – 11 14 3
Mississippi State 408 001 x – 13 12 0
Turner, Jolly (1), Garcia (3) and Hobbs, Roessner (7). Comeaux, Massey (4), Hickerson (6), Miller (7) and Johnson.
WP – Comeaux (8-5). LP – Turner (8-7). S – Miller (1). HR – Harris, Smith, Jessup, Kinney. T – 2:56.
LSU 001 000 0 – 1 4 3
Mississippi State 000 004 x – 4 4 2
Turner and Hobbs. Miller and Johnson.
WP – Miller (7-4). LP – Turner (8-8). HR – Williams. T – 2:00. A – 306.