BATON ROUGE — A walk-off RBI single by Vanessa Soto in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the 11th-ranked LSU softball team a 1-0 win over McNeese State on Wednesday night at Tiger Park.
With the win, the Tigers improved to 39-6 on the season and 2-0 against the Cowgirls in 2006. McNeese State fell to 16-23 on the year and has now lost all 14 meetings with LSU.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Camille Harris blooped a single to left field that dropped in between the shortstop and the left fielder. A sacrifice by Lauren Castle sent Harris to second. Soto then lined a single up the middle, scoring Harris from second for the game winner, the sixth walk-off win for LSU this season.
“We worked our primetime situation to perfection in the seventh inning,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “Camille got on and Castle did what she needed to do to move her over. Miss Primetime for tonight, Soto, got the base hit we needed.”
Despite holding the Cowgirls in check throughout the game, the Tigers had trouble getting on the scoreboard for the second consecutive game. LSU recorded seven hits, including a pair of doubles, but stranded eight on t base, including five in scoring position, before pushing the game winner across the plate.
“They have a great pitcher,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “She’s had to good games against us and their shortstop made probably three run-saving plays against us tonight. The bottom line is we are still having a trouble in primetime situations. We are getting people on, but we are struggling at putting two hits back-to-back.”
Dani Hofer earned the complete-game shutout win for the Tigers to improve to 13-3 on the season. She allowed just one hit, her fifth time game this season allowing one or fewer hits in a game. In addition, she struck out 13, her fourth double-figure strikeout performance of the year, while walking just one.
After allowing an infield singe with one out in the top of the first, Hofer then retired 18 straight before allowing a walk with one out in the top of the seventh. The freshman then retired the final two batters of the game, facing just two over the minimum in her effort.
“I thought Dani was magnificent tonight,” said Girouard. “I thought she threw as well as she’s thrown in a while.”
LSU had its chances early and often throughout the game. With one out in the first, Castle drove a double to the right center field gap. Soto then drew a walk to put runners on first and second, but McNeese State pitcher Jessica Denham retired the final two batters of the inning to end the threat.
In the second, Lauren Delahoussaye led off with a walk. With Heidi Robin running for Delahoussaye at first, she was called out for interference on a ball hit toward second as Quinlan Duhon earned a base hit on the play. An infield single deep in the hole at shortstop by Killian Roessner put runners on first and second for the second consecutive inning for the Tigers.
On a fielder’s choice by Andrea Smith, Duhon was called out at third on a close play. Denham then struck out Harris swinging to get out of the inning.
A one-out double by Soto in the third put a runner in scoring position for LSU for the third consecutive inning. Leslie Klein then reached on an error by Denham, allowing Soto to move to third. Klein then stole second to put runners at second and third. Denham got out of trouble for the third consecutive inning with a strikeout and a ground out to shortstop Kristi Hanan, who made an outstanding play to nip Delahoussaye at first and save a run.
The fourth inning saw LSU put a runner in scoring position for the fourth straight inning. With one out, Roessner singled up the middle, her second hit of the game. On a fielder’s choice by Smith, Shannon Stein, running for Roessner, was called out at second.
Harris was then hit by a pitch, extending her career record to 30 and moving her to a team-best 11 for the season. On a fielder’s choice by Castle, Smith was thrown out on a great play by Hanan again, saving a bases loaded situation to end the inning. The Tigers were retired in order in the fifth and sixth before earning the win in the seventh.
Denham took the complete-game loss for the Cowgirls to fall to 9-15 on the season. She allowed one run on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings. It marked her second loss to the Tigers this season after throwing a complete-game extra-inning loss earlier in the season.
LSU now travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for a three-game series with No. 3 Alabama. The Tigers will face the Crimson Tide in a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 5 p.m. before closing out the series on Saturday at 2 p.m. The series was moved up a day due to Easter Sunday.