BATON ROUGE — A two-hitter by Emily Turner and home runs by Kristen Hobbs and Vanessa Soto led the ninth-ranked LSU softball team to a 7-1 win over McNeese State on Wednesday night at Tiger Park.
With the win, the Tigers improved to 22-3 overall, while the Cowgirls dropped to 9-19 on the season. LSU also remain undefeated against McNeese State at 15-0 and increased its winning streak over in-state opponents to 47 games. The last time the Tigers lost to a Louisiana school was in 2001.
After a shaky start that saw Turner walk the leadoff batter in the game and five up two hits, including an RBI double in the third, the senior All-American settled into a groove in the fourth. After a leadoff walk, she retired 10 straight before giving up a one-out walk in the seventh. Turner then struck out the final two batters of the game.
“Emily hasn’t been in a groove yet and that’s why I pitched her tonight to try to get her into that groove,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “She wasn’t very sharp to start, but starting in about the fourth inning, she started to click and I was pleased from that point on. We need her sharp as a tack from now on.”
With the win, she improved to 8-2 on the season. For the game, she allowed one run on two hits with three walks and struck out 10. It marked the fourth double-figure strikeout performance of the season for Turner.
Hobbs and Soto each recorded home runs for the Tigers to give LSU 26 on the season, one behind Southeastern Conference leader Alabama. For the year, Hobbs is tied for the team lead with five, after the senior recorded only two in her previous three seasons. Soto now has three this year after 11 in her previous two seasons.
“What can you say about Kristen Hobbs, except she may be the feel good story of the year,” said Girouard. Hopefully she continues to swing that bat.”
As a team, LSU recorded 12 hits on the night, with six coming from the top two batters in the line-up. Jazz Jackson led the way with her third 4-for-4 performance of the year. Dee Dee Henderson finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Leslie Klein added to her school record for multiple-RBI games with two, while Soto and Killian Roessner each had two RBIs as well.
The Tigers got the scoring going in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Dee Dee Henderson reached on a single through the left side. After she stole second, Klein drew a walk. A double steal moved Henderson to third and Klein to second. Henderson then scored on an RBI ground out by Roessner.
The Cowgirls tied the game up in the top of the third. With one out, Courtney Lemke recorded the first hit of the game on a knock through the left side. With two outs after Lemke stole second, Liz Morvant doubled to left center field to give McNeese State its only run of the game.
LSU would retake the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Jackson reached on an infield single. A single through the left side by Henderson put runners on second and third. The pair moved to second and third on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly by Klein scored Jackson from third. Roessner then hit an RBI single through the right side that scored Henderson from second for the 3-1 Tiger advantage.
In the bottom of the fifth with two outs and Mitchell on first after a fielder’s choice, Soto hit her home run to straight away center field to push the lead to 5-1. Hobbs then led off the bottom of the sixth with her home run to left field. LSU closed out the scoring on a second sacrifice fly by Klein that scored Andrea Smith to run the final to 7-1.
Rachel Hodlik took the loss for the Cowgirls to fall to 5-4 on the season. She allowed seven runs on 12 hits with two walks and one strikeout in the complete-game effort.
The Tigers will return to action this weekend as LSU opens Southeastern Conference play on the road at Ole Miss. The Tigers will face the Lady Rebels in a three game series beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. The series will conclude with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. LSU will return home for a mid-week game against Texas-San Antonio next Tuesday at 6 p.m., before taking on nationally ranked Florida in its conference home opener next weekend.