BATON ROUGE — LSU head coach Yvette Girouard won her 1,000th career game as the Tigers split a Southeastern Conference doubleheader against Arkansas on Wednesday night, falling 5-3 in the first game before winning game two, 8-3, at Tiger Park.
With the split, LSU moved to 19-14 on the season and 3-11 in SEC play, while the Lady Razorback went to 14-29 overall and 1-15 in league play. The pair will play the rubber match on Thursday at 5 p.m. The game will be televised live on Cox Sports Television in Baton Rouge on cable channel 37. The LSU Sports Network will also carry the radio broadcast on Country Legends 107.3 and on the internet at www.LSUsports.net.
Girouard became only the fifth head coach in NCAA Division I softball history and the sixth coach in NCAA history at any division to win 1,000 career games. She joins Fresno State head coach Margie Wright, Florida State head coach JoAnne Graf, Iowa head coach Gayle Blevins and Arizona head coach Mike Candrea as the only coaches in Division I history to reach the millennium mark.
“This means you have filled out a lot of lineup cards,” Girouard said of reaching the milestone. “Obviously no one does this by themselves. It takes coaches, it takes players, it takes parents, it takes the administration and it takes someone giving me this job and sticking with us for 25 years, everything comes into play.”
The two-time National coach of the Year and seven-time Regional Coach of the Year will be inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame this summer in Orlando, Fla. In her 25th season as a head coach, she also ranks as the fifth winningest coach in NCAA Division I history by percentage, posting a 1000-316 record for a .760 career winning percentage.
One of only three head coach to guide two programs to the Women’s College World Series, Girouard has led her teams to five WCWS appearances, including two in her first four years at LSU. With 14 NCAA Regional appearances, she has posted 23 consecutive winning seasons while guiding players to 35 All-America honors.
“This hasn’t really been a focus for us,” said Girouard. “My mom is here and my niece is here. Several of my original ballplayers are here. One player in particular is here that I coached in high school and college that convinced me to take the college job. It makes this very special.”
“All I ever wanted to be was a high school coach. The high school player that I coached and my mom convinced me to take the USL job. I didn’t really think that was what I wanted to do but it just kind of happened, my career happened.”
Against Arkansas, the Tigers held a 2-0 lead in the first game before a four-run fifth inning by the Lady’Backs gave Arkansas the lead for good. LSU cut the lead to one, 4-3, but could get no closer as the Lady Razorbacks scored one more in the seventh to run the final to 5-3.
In the second game, Arkansas took an early 1-0 lead, but the Tigers put up three runs in each of the first two innings and one each in the third and fourth innings on their way to an 8-3 victory. The Lady’Backs got one in the top of the fifth and one in the seventh, putting the tying run on deck before Tiffany Garcia got Mindy O’Malley to ground out to end the game.
“We just challenged them between the games,” said Girouard. “It’s all up to them now. What you saw in the first game is the capsule of our season. We’ll be okay and then one thing happens and it snowballs and before you know it, we’ve lost. Somebody has to stop the bleeding for us, somewhere, somehow, and that’s how I challenged them.”
In the top of the first of game one, Camille Harris led off with a solo home run to left center. With her sixth home run of the season, she recorded the 19th home run of her career to move into a tie for fifth place in career home runs in LSU history.
The Tigers added another run in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Stephanie Hill singled up the middle. With Dee Dee Henderson pinch running for her, she stole second. A triple to left center by Vanessa Soto scored Henderson from second to extend the LSU lead to 2-0.
Arkansas came back to take the lead with four runs in the top of the fifth inning. Dayna Huckabee was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. With one out, Samantha Buckner singled through the left side, sending Huckabee to second. After Heather Rankin came in to pinch run for Buckner, Zenobia Davison reached on an infield single to load the bases.
A throwing error by Emily Turner on a Rachel LeMaster hit scored the first Lady’Back run and kept the bases loaded. O’Malley then singled up the middle, scoring Ranking and Davison to give Arkansas the lead. After Megan Jolly came in to replace Turner in the circle, Kallie Foglesong hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored LeMaster from third before O’Malley was picked off going back to first on the play to end the inning with the Lady’Backs leading 4-3.
The Tigers got one run back in the bottom half of the inning. Kristen Hobbs led off with a single deep in the hole at shortstop. After Lauren Uhle came in to run for Hobbs, she moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Harris. On a sacrifice bunt attempt by Lauren Castle, a throwing error by Buckner allowed Castle to reach and advance to second as Uhle scored.
Arkansas closed out the scoring in the top of the seventh inning. With two outs, Davison walked. She then stole second and third before scoring on a single to right field by LeMaster to run the score to 5-3.
Turner took the loss to fall to 8-9 on the year. She allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits with three strikeouts in four and a third innings. Jolly came on in relief in the fifth and allowed one run on one hit with a walk and two strikeouts in two and two-thirds innings.
Katy Henry earned the win to improve to 6-10 for the Lady’Backs. She allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits with two walks and one strikeout in six innings. Sarah Topham came in to earn her second save of the season in the seventh. She allowed one walk with a strikeout in an inning of work.
Arkansas struck first in the second game, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. LeMaster singled to second to lead off the game. O’Malley then reached on a fielder’s choice as LeMaster advanced to second on a throwing error by Lauren Delahoussaye. With two outs and runners at first and second, a single to center field by Easley scored O’Malley from second.
LSU stormed back with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Castle doubled to left center. Hill then walked. On a fielder’s choice by Klein, a throwing error by the first baseman on a play to second sailed all the way to the wall, scoring Castle and Hill and moving Klein to third. After a second error by the first baseman put runners on the corners, a fielding error by the second baseman scored Klein from third to give the Tigers the 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the second, LSU added three more runs. With one out, Harris drew a walk. Castle recorded an infield single as Harris advanced to third. With Henderson running for Castle at first, she stole second. Hill then singled up the middle, scoring Harris and Castle as Hill moved to second on the throw. A single up the middle by Klein put runners on the corners.
Kelly Ninemire then replaced Valanna Lyons in the circle for Arkansas. With two outs and Klein on second after a stolen base, Soto walked to load the bases. A second walk to Delahoussaye scored Hill from third to extend the LSU lead to 6-1.
With one out in the bottom of the third, Harris singled through the right side. Castle also singled through the right side to put runners on first and third. After Castle stole second, a ground out by Hill scored Harris.
LSU closed out its scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Soto singled to center field. She moved to second on a passed ball. With two outs, she scored on a double to left center field by Andrea Smith.
The Lady’Backs got one run in the top of the fifth inning. With two outs, Huckabee singled through the left side. Back-to-back throwing errors loaded the bases before Davison drew a walk to score Huckabee from third.
In the top of the seventh, Arkansas mounted its biggest threat. Easley led off with an infield single. With Heather Rankin running for her and one out, Southmayd drew a walk. A single to center field by Buckner loaded the bases. With two outs, LeMaster recorded an RBI infield single, scoring Rankin from third. O’Malley then grounded out to end the game and the threat with the tying run on deck.
Garcia earned the win for the Tigers in relief to improve to 7-2 on the season. She allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts in six innings. Jolly started and allowed one unearned run with two walks and a strikeout in an inning of work.
Lyons started and took the loss for the Lady Razorbacks to fall to 6-14 on the year. She allowed six runs, three earned, on four hits with two walks in an inning and a third. Ninemire came on in relief and allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in two and a third. Topham closed out the game, allowing one hi with two walks and two strikeouts in two and a third innings.
Arkansas 000 040 1 – 5 5 1
LSU 100 110 0 – 3 5 1
Henry, Topham (7) and Easley. Turner, Jolly (5) and Hobbs. WP – Henry (6-10). LP – Turner (8-9). S – Topham (2). HR – Harris (6). T – 2:16.
Arkansas 100 010 1 – 3 9 3
LSU 331 100 x – 8 9 3
Lyons, Ninemire (2) and Easley. Jolly, Garcia (2) and Roessner. WP – Garcia (7-2). LP – Lyons (6-14). T – 2:20. A – 639.