NORMAN, Okla. — An RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning by Lauren Castle completed a comeback win for the 19th-ranked LSU softball team as the Tigers upset No. 10 Oklahoma, 6-5, after run-ruling Troy, 8-0 in five innings, on Sunday at the Norman Residence Inn Invitational.
The two wins moved LSU to 21-3 on the season, matching the best start in school history. The Tigers completed the weekend at 4-0 after defeating the nationally ranked Sooners (14-6-1) and Troy (11-7) twice in the tournament. LSU will now open up Southeastern Conference play on the road next weekend at Ole Miss.
Playing with Shannon Stein on second base due to the international tie-breaker in the bottom of the eighth against Oklahoma, Lauren Delahoussaye advanced her to third on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Lauren Castle singled up the middle to score Stein to break the tie and take the win. The run capped a come-from-behind victory for the Tigers, who trailed 4-1 after two and a half innings.
Megan Jolly earned the win in relief to improve to 4-0 on the season. After coming on in the seventh, she allowed one hit with a walk in two innings. Dani Hofer started and went two and two-thirds innings. She allowed four runs on five hits with two walks and a strikeout. Tiffany Garcia came on in relief in the third and allowed one run on three hits with three walks and a strikeout in three and a third.
“It was almost a complete staff effort to try and nail down that win,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “It came down to execution. We got the run in the tie-breaker and Oklahoma didn’t. It was a great weekend and now we have a week to work on some things we need to work on before we start SEC play.”
Home runs by Leslie Klein and Delahoussaye sparked the comeback that saw the Tigers tie the game in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Vanessa Soto. Castle and Soto each finished 2-for-4 during the game with one RBI each, while Klein went 2-for-4 with one RBI and three runs scored.
“It was absolutely a great game in a fabulous college atmosphere,” said Girouard. “The Oklahoma fans were literally on the edge of their seats. It was a hitter’s paradise today but a game that was played clean with no errors. We had a lot of clutch performances. Obviously Lauren Castle came up with a huge hit when she had struggled some all weekend. Leslie Klein was looking like her old self and sending one out of the park. Lauren Delahoussaye it a huge home run.”
After defeating Troy, 2-0, on Saturday, the Tigers came out and dominated the Trojans to come away with their ninth run-rule win of the season. Killian Roessner and Andrea Smith each went 2-for-2 in the game with a pair of RBIs, while Soto went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Quinlan Duhon was 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
Emily Turner started and earned the complete-game shutout to improve to 6-1 on the season. The junior allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out eight. Every win for Turner this season has come by way of the shutout, allowing runs in only one appearance.
“It was a complete day for us at the ballpark,” said Girouard. “We had a great opening win. Emily pitched very well and the team responded. They came out clicking on all cylinders and shut Troy down.”
Against the Sooners, Oklahoma threatened for the first time in the top of the second. With one out, Jamie Fox doubled just behind the dirt down the left field line on a ball that appeared to be heading into left field but was held up in the strong wind blowing in from left. A single that fell short in left field by Mariee Mena put runners on first and second.
Samantha Long then hit a long fly ball that was caught at the fence in center Leslie Klein. Hofer then struck out Jessica Legendre to end the inning.
In the bottom half of the inning, LSU broke through with one run. Klein led off with a double to left center. A walk to Duhon put runners on first and second. The pair moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Roessner. Delahoussaye drew a walk to load the bases. Smith then singled up the middle to score Klein for the 1-0 Tiger lead.
Oklahoma came back to take the lead in the top of the third. Traci Dickenson led off with an infield single. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Norelle Dickson. On a fielder’s choice by Amber Spaulding, Dickerson was thrown out attempting to advance to third.
Spaulding then stole second before LSU intentionally walked Kristin Vesely. A walk to Samantha Ricketts loaded the bases for the Sooners. Fox then singled through the left side to score Spaulding and Vesely. A double to left center by Mena scored Ricketts and Fox to give Oklahoma the 4-1 advantage.
The Tigers got one back in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs, Klein hit a solo home run to left center field. It was her second home run of the year and got LSU to within two, 4-2.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Tigers inched closer again. With one out, Delahoussaye nailed a 2-2 pitch over the left field fence. Her first home run of the season cut the Sooners’ lead to 4-3.
Oklahoma got a run in the top of the fifth. With one out, Fox drew a walk. On a ground out to first, Fox advanced to second. Savannah Long then doubled to right center, scoring Fox from second to give the Sooners the two-run lead, 5-3. Harris made an amazing diving catch in foul territory down the left field line against the fence to end the inning.
LSU wasted no time in getting the run back. Soto led off the bottom of the fifth with a single to center field. With Erika Sluss running for her at first, Stephanie Hill singled down the left field line. On a fielder’s choice by Klein, Sluss was out at third as Hill advanced to second.
A walk to Duhon loaded the bases before Delahoussaye was hit by a pitch to score Klein. Roessner then reached on a fielder’s choice as Hill was thrown out at the plate. Smith ended the inning with a ground out to shortstop with the Tigers within one, 5-4.
LSU tied it up in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Harris doubled off the third baseman’s glove. A single through the left side allowed Harris to score just under the tag of the Oklahoma catcher to knot it at five all.
In the eighth inning, the game went to the international tie-breaker rule. Pinch runner D.J. Mathis was placed on second for Oklahoma. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Stacia Aleman. After a fly out to center field, Spaulding drew a walk. With runners at first and third, Vesely popped out to shortstop to end the inning.
LSU began the bottom half of the inning with Stein on second. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Delahoussaye. After a strikeout by Smith, Castle hit a walk-off single up the middle to score Stein for the win.
Nicole Denes took the loss in relief to fall to 5-2 on the year for the Sooners. She allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits with a walk and two-strikeouts in four and a third innings. Morgan Hudsonpillar started and allowed three runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts in three and a third innings.
In the first game of the day, Troy threatened in the top of the first inning, but the Tigers held it off the scoreboard. With one out, Stacey Dwyer drew a walk. A single to left field by Jessica Lyle put runners on first and second.
With two outs, Felicia Hammer singled to center field. On the play, Dwyer attempted to score from second, but was caught in a rundown between third and home and tagged out by Lauren Delahoussaye for the third out.
LSU jumped on the board with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Harris drew a walk. A single by Soto moved Harris to second. On a fielder’s choice by Hill, Harris was thrown out going to third.
With runners on first and second and two outs, Klein was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A single to center field by Duhon Scored Soto and Hill as Klein moved to third and Duhon advanced to second. A single to center field by Roessner scored Klein and Duhon to give the Tigers the 4-0 advantage.
In the bottom of the fourth, LSU added two more. Smith was hit by a pitch to start off the inning. She was thrown out on a fielder’s choice by Castle. A single through the left side by Harris moved Castle to second. Soto then singled to left center, scoring Castle as Harris took third and Soto advanced to second. A sacrifice fly by Hill scored Harris from third to extend the lead to 6-0.
The Tigers continued their scoring in the bottom of the third. With one out Roessner doubled to right center. With Heidi Robin running for Roessner, she scored on an RBI single from Smith.
The Trojans threatened again in the top of the fourth. Lyle led off with a single down the left field line. With one out, Hammer singled to left center to move Lyle to second. Turner then struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
LSU completed the run-rule with one run in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Roessner drew a walk and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Smith singled down the left field line off the umpire, allowing Roessner to come around and score for the 8-0 win in five innings.
Laine Harcourt took the loss for the Trojans to fall to 6-1 on the season. She allowed eight runs on nine hits with two walks and three strikeouts in the complete-game effort.