STARKVILLE, Miss. — With both games going to nine innings, Dani Hofer and the sixth-ranked LSU softball team outlasted Mississippi State, 4-1 and 4-3, in a Southeastern Conference doubleheader on a rainy, cold and windy Saturday afternoon at the MSU Softball Field.
Playing an extra-inning doubleheader for just the second time in school history, the Tigers improved to 42-6 on the year and 16-3 in Southeastern Conference play. LSU moved a full game ahead of Alabama in the SEC Western Division and are even with Tennessee, but trail the Lady Vols in the all-important percentage points.
Fighting off the rain, which delayed the start of the doubleheader by 30 minutes, with blustery winds and dropping temperatures the doubleheader sweep dropped the Bulldogs to 27-19 overall and 9-10 in league play. It also marked the fifth and sixth straight wins for the Tigers over Mississippi State.
“It was a tough task, but we accomplished what we came here to do by winning both games,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We showed character in both games. It was a hard fought series and wasn’t exactly beautiful, but wins are what we wanted.”
Hofer earned the win in both LSU games, pitching a complete-game to start the series and coming on in relief to earn the win in game two. The sophomore improved to 19-1 on the year with the pair of wins. In the first game, she allowed just one run on four hits with a pair of walks and 13 strikeouts in nine innings. She had a no-hit bid broken up in the bottom of the seventh and faced just seven over the minimum in the game.
With the score tied at two, one out and the game winning run on third in the seventh inning for Mississippi State, Hofer came on in relief. She intentionally walked a batter to load the bases before retiring the final two outs to end the inning. She also faced runners on second and third with one out in the eighth, but retired the side to pitch her way out of trouble once again.
After the Tigers went ahead in the top of the ninth, she retired the Bulldogs easily for the first two outs before a single extended the game and put the winning run at the plate. A fly out to left field by Lindsey Hunley ended game to preserve the win. In game two, she allowed two hits and two walks in two and two-thirds innings.
“Dani was obviously the girl today,” said Girouard.
Tayl’r Hollis continued her hot streak at the plate. She nailed a pair of home runs, including a two-run shot in game one in the ninth inning that proved to be the game winner. For the day, she went 3-for-8 with two home runs and three RBIs. With hits in both games, she extended her hitting streak to 12 games, the longest of her LSU career and the second longest by any Tiger player this season.
Rachel Mitchell came up with the big RBI in the second game. With runners on first and second, she hit a deep fly ball to right center field that looked like it may be her seventh home run of the year, but was caught at the wall deep enough to allow Andrea Smith to tag up and score from second for the sacrifice fly game winner.
“Mississippi State made all the plays it needed to make early until our ball started to get eyes,” said Girouard.
In game one, a pair of Mississippi State errors got LSU on the board in the top of the eighth. Vanessa Soto, pinch hitting for Kristen Hobbs, reached on an error by the Bulldog first baseman. Shannon Stein then came up with just the second hit of the game for LSU, sending Soto to second. A ground out by Quinlan Duhon moved Soto and Stein to second and third. Erika Sluss then reached on a fielding error by the MSU shortstop, allowing Soto to score the first run of the game.
In the bottom half of the inning with one out, Michelle Kinney came up with just the second hit of the game for Mississippi State. On a fielder’s choice by Chelsea Bramlett, the Tigers got Kinney going to second. Bramlett then stole second. Nakia Boyce doubled just out of reach of a diving Mitchell in right center, allowing Bramlett to score as Leslie Klein gunned down Boyce trying to extend the hit to a triple to end the inning and send it to the ninth.
Klein led off the ninth with a single through the right side for LSU. On a fielder’s choice by Killian Roessner, Klein was thrown out at second. Tayl’r Hollis then came up with the big blow as she drove the first pitch over the left center field wall, her third home run of the season.
Mitchell was hit by a pitch before a Kristen Hobbs single sent Mitchell to second. After a Mississippi State pitching change, Shannon Stein reached on an infield single as Mitchell was able to come around and score as the ball was thrown wild to first base for the 4-1 Tiger lead.
After a leadoff double by Hayle Guess to start the bottom half of the 10th, Hofer settled down to retire the final three batters in order to end the game.
Kelli Miller started and took the loss for the Bulldogs to fall to 11-8 on the year. She allowed four runs, two earned, on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts in eight and a third innings. Sara Hickerson closed out the game, allowing one hit with two strikeouts in the final two-thirds.
Hollis picked up where she left off in game two. With one out in the top of the second, Hollis pounded her fourth home run of the year and second of the day off the right field foul pole to give LSU the early 1-0 lead.
In the top of the third, the Tigers added two more runs. With one out, Jazz Jackson reached on a dropped throw by the first baseman. On a fielder’s choice by Mitchell, Jackson was thrown out at second. Klein then doubled just out of the reach of the Mississippi State left fielder, allowing Mitchell to come around and score. A single down the left field line by Roessner scored Klein for the 3-0 advantage.
The Bulldogs got one back in the bottom of the third. Sammy Jo Bailey led off with a walk before Katie Johnson was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. With one out, Boyce drew a walk to load the bases. A single off the glove of a diving Hollis at third base by Hayle Guess allowed Rachel Hurley, pinch running for Bailey, to score before Johnson was gunned down a the plate by Hollis to end the inning.
Mississippi State got one more in the bottom of the fourth. Courtney Bures led off with a double down the left field line. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Katie Cooley and scored on a single to right field by Jessie Bailey.
The Bulldogs tied it up in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Guess singled to center field. She stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by Roessner. A double to right center by Bures scored Guess to even the game at three each.
In the top of the seventh, Stein led off with a single to right. Dee Dee Henderson, running for Stein, stole second. She moved to third on a wild pitch, but the Tigers could not push the run across.
The Bulldogs led off with a walk and a single to start the bottom of the seventh to put runners on the corners. Hofer then came on in relief and intentionally walked Katie Cooley to load the bases. A fielder’s choice to third by Jessie Bailey got runner going to home and brought up Hunley, who popped out to third to end the threat.
LSU led off the top of the eighth with a single by Roessner. With Erika Sluss running for Roessner, Sluss moved to second on a single to right field by Hollis. A sacrifice bunt by Soto moved Sluss and Hollis to second and third, but back-to-back pop outs ended the inning for the Tigers.
Mississippi State led off with back-to-back singles in the bottom half of the inning by Johnson and Kinney. A sacrifice by Bramlett moved the pair to second and third. Hofer then got the Bulldogs to pop out and ground out to end the inning.
Quinlan Duhon, pinch hitting for Smith, led off with a 10-pitch walk that included a foul ball that appeared to bounce directly over third base and go for a double but was ruled foul by the home plate umpire. Smith came back on to run for herself and moved to second on a bunt single by Jackson. Mitchell then nailed a ball about as far as you can hit it without it leaving the park, which was enough for Smith to come around and score from second on the sacrifice fly and give LSU the 4-3 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning, Bures lined out to Hollis at third before Cooley grounded out to second. A single by Jessie Bailey put the winning run at the plate, but Hunley flew out to left field to end the game.
Emily Turner started and allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in three and a third. Cody Trahan came on in relief in the fourth for her first SEC action of her career. She allowed one run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts in an inning and two thirds. Tiffany Garcia pitched a scoreless inning and a third, giving up just one hit and a walk with four strikeouts, before Hofer came on in the seventh to earn the win.
Sara Hickerson took the loss to fall to 5-5 for Mississippi State in relief. She allowed the game-winning run on three hits with two walks in the final three innings. Kelsey Nurnberg started and allowed three runs, one earned, on seven hits with four strikeouts in six innings.
LSU will return home for a mid-week game against cross-town rival Southern on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Tigers then take to the road once again for a three-game SEC series at Arkansas. The series will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. and conclude with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
LSU’s final regular season home games will be a three-game series against No. 1 Tennessee on April 28-29. The series begins with a doubleheader on Saturday at 3 p.m., in a game time that was pushed back two hours for television, and concludes with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. The first and third games of the series will be broadcast live nationally on ESPN2, in Baton Rouge on cable channel 36.
LSU 000 000 013 – 4 6 2
MSU 000 000 010 – 1 4 3
Dani Hofer and Killian Roessner. Kelli Miller, Sara Hickerson (9) and Blair Hewett. WP ? Hofer (18-1). LP ? Miller (11-8). S ? None. HR ? Tayl’r Hollis. T ? 2:09.
LSU 012 000 001 – 4 10 0
MSU 001 110 000 – 3 10 1
Emily Turner, Cody Trahan (4), Tiffany Garcia (6), Dani Hofer (7) and Killian Roessner. Kelsey Nurnberg and Chelsea Bramlett.
WP ? Hofer (19-1). LP ? Hickerson (5-5). S ? None. HR ? Tayl’r Hollis. T ? 2:11. A ? 419.