ATHENS, Ga. — A three-run sixth inning pushed the fifth-ranked Tennessee softball team past No. 11 LSU in the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship game on Saturday afternoon at the UGA Soccer/Softball Complex.
The loss dropped the Tigers to 51-12 on the season, while the Lady Volunteers improved to 53-9 on the year. Tennessee earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, while LSU should receive an at-large bid when the bracket is released on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The Tigers will be watching the selection show, which will be broadcast on ESPNews, at Walk-On’s on Burbank Drive.
LSU, appearing in the SEC Tournament championship game for the seventh time in the last eight seasons, failed to win the title for only the third time, while the Tigers lead the league with four tournament championships. This was the first SEC Tournament championship for Tennessee, which was also making its first appearance in the title game.
“This was a game of momentum and when that one inning blew up for us; Tennessee ran right back in the dugout and took advantage of a golden opportunity,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard of LSU’s lost opportunity in the fifth inning. “The bottom line was they got it done and we didn’t.”
Four Tigers were named to the all-tournament team, including Emily Turner, Killian Roessner, Vanessa Soto and Lauren Delahoussaye. Turner went 2-1 for the tournament with a complete-game shutout of Georgia in the semifinals. Delahoussaye led the team with a .500 average in the tournament, including a double and a sacrifice bunt. Soto hit .429 in the three games, with a home run and a team-best three RBIs. Roessner hit .300 with a double and two RBIs, while allowing only one stolen base in three games.
After holding the nation’s leading offense to just three hits through the first five innings, Emily Turner surrendered three runs on four hits in the top of the sixth, which proved to be the deciding factor. LSU recorded a hit in five of the six innings, but could never put the timely hits together to break through. The loss dropped Turner to 35-7 on the season as she allowed three runs on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts in the game.
“Obviously, Emily didn’t throw as well as she did last Sunday against them,” said Girouard. “She didn’t throw as well as she did earlier this weekend. Her change-up wasn’t as dominant and they were getting a lot of balls in play. Abbot was really good and she had her change-up working.”
In a pitcher’s duel for most of the game, Tennessee had its first player reach scoring position in the top of the first. With one out, India Chiles singled down the left field line. After she stole second, Lindsay Schutzler struck out looking and Tonya Callahan flied out to center field to end the inning.
The Tigers countered with a runner in scoring position in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Camille Harris struck out swinging, but reached on a wild pitch. A single to left field by Leslie Klein put runners on first and second. Soto and Stephanie Hill then flew out to center field to end the inning.
The Lady Vols left one stranded in scoring position again in the top of the second. With one out, Liane Horiuchi singled to left center. With two outs, Shannon Doepking drew a walk to move Horiuchi to second. Jennifer Griffin then fouled out to second for the final out.
Tennessee had a chance again in the top of the fourth. After a leadoff walk to Callahan, a one-out sacrifice by Horiuchi moved pinch runner Lillian Hammond to second. Katherine Card grounded out to end the inning and the threat.
In the bottom of the fifth, LSU ran themselves out of a great opportunity. Delahoussaye led off with a single to right field. With Dee Dee Henderson running for her at first, Shannon Stein fouled out on a hit and run attempt as Henderson barely beat out the double play at first. Henderson then got doubled off at first on another hit and run after Lauren Castle grounded out to shortstop. Henderson thought that the ball had been caught in the air and was tagged out going back to first to end the inning.
In the top of the sixth, the Lady Vols got on the board first. Schutzler led off with an infield single. A sacrifice by Callahan moved her to second. An infield single by Kenora Posey put runners on first and second. With one out, it appeared the Horiuchi leaned into a pitch, but was awarded first on the hit by pitch with two strikes to load the bases.
Card then singled to left field, scoring Schutzler and Posey to take the 2-0 lead. Natalie Brock then singled to center field, scoring Horiuchi from second for the 3-0 advantage.
The Tigers got a two-outs single in the bottom of the sixth, but could get no more as Monica Abbott retired the final four LSU batters in order to end the game. Abbott earned the win to improve to 37-7 on the season. She allowed five hits with six strikeouts in the complete-game shutout.
Tennessee 000 003 0 – 3 9 0
LSU 000 000 0 – 0 5 2
Monica Abbott and Shannon Doepking. Emily Turner and Killian Roessner. WP – Abbott (37-7). LP – Turner (25-7). S – None. T – 1:48. A – 394.
SEC All-Tournament Team
P – Emily Turner, LSU
C – Killian Roessner, LSU
1B – Tonya Callahan, Tennessee
2B – Vanessa Soto, LSU
3B – Lauren Delahoussaye, LSU
SS – Lindsay Schutzler, Tennessee
OF – Sarah Fekete, Tennessee
OF – Bittany Rogers, Alabama
OF – Katherine Card, Tennessee
DP – India Chiles, Tennessee
MVP – Monica Abbott, Tennessee