BATON ROUGE — In front of the largest crowd in Southeastern Conference softball history, the fifth-ranked Tigers split an SEC doubleheader with No. 1-ranked Tennessee, losing the first game, 2-1, before coming back to win the nightcap, 5-1, on Saturday afternoon at Tiger Park.
Besting the previous LSU attendance record by more than 800, the crowd of 2,326 saw the purple and gold earn its second win over a No. 1-ranked team in two years, handing the Lady Vols their worst loss of the season, tying an 0-4 loss to nationally ranked Florida. Last year, LSU earned a win at No. 1-ranked and eventual national champion Arizona in the NCAA Super Regionals. The Tigers improved to 47-8 on the year and 20-4 in league play. Tennessee moved to 51-3 overall and 21-3 in conference play.
“First of all, I have to thank our fans for showing up today and being so effective, giving us a boost and making these players feel like they matter,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “I thought we battled all day long.”
The Lady Vols held their one game lead over LSU in the overall SEC race with four league games remaining. The Tigers are now tied with Alabama in the Western Division, but hold the tie breaker with the Crimson Tide after taking 2-of-3 at Tiger Park earlier this season.
The Tigers and Lady Vols will meet in the rubber match on Sunday on ESPN2, with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m., as the Tigers celebrate “Senior Day” to honor the three seniors ? Kristen Hobbs, Leslie Klein and Emily Turner. The game will also be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network in Baton Rouge on WNXX – The X -104.5/104.9 FM. The radio broadcasts and live statistics can also be found in the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net.
The first 500 fans will once again receive LSU softball trading cards and the first 200 fans will take home LSU softball “Home Plate” cookbooks. The Tigers will hold “Senior Day” festivities following the series finale with presentations for Hobbs, Klein and Turner.
In the nightcap, Klein tied former Tiger Julie Wiese for the LSU career home run record with her 31st blast. The Sunrise, Fla., native knocked in all five of the Tigers’ five runs as part of a 3-for-3 outing with a double. In addition, the center fielder made a run-saving catch as she went into the wall in left center field to pull down what would have been at least a two-run double in the top of the fifth.
“I thought we played outstanding defense all day long and you are never going to see a better catch than Klein’s,” said Girouard. “That was one of the prettiest catches you will ever see. Tayl’r (Hollis) also played unbelievable at third base.”
LSU had nine hits in the contest, the most allowed by Tennessee all season, which included Klein’s outing and a 3-for-3 performance by freshman Rachel Mitchell with a pair of runs scored by both Mitchell and freshman Jazz Jackson.
Turner earned her second career victory over a top-ranked team with the complete game effort. She improved to 16-5 on the season, limiting the Lady Vols to one run on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Last season, she earned LSU’s first win over a No. 1-ranked team after knocking off Arizona in the NCAA Super Regionals on the road in Tucson, Ariz.
“Tennessee is a very good offensive team in that they put the ball in play,” said Girouard. “Their slappers are as pretty a slapping group as you’ll ever find because they are mechanically so smooth. They are so fast that they put pressure on you all the time.”
In the top of the first inning, Tennessee got its only run of the game. Kenora Posey recorded a one-out walk. She moved to second on an infield ground out. After Tonya Callahan was hit by a pitch, Tiffany Huff blooped an RBI single into right field that scored Posey for the 1-0 Lady Vol lead.
In the bottom of the third, LSU jumped back on top to stay. The Tigers got a one out single by Jackson. A single through the right side by Mitchell sent Jackson to third. Klein then doubled to right center, allowing both Jackson and Mitchell to score.
Klein put the game away in the bottom of the fifth with her three-run home run. Kristen Hobbs led off with a single up the middle. After a fielder’s choice by Jackson put her on first with one out, Mitchell singled once again, sending Jackson to third. Klein then nailed a 1-2 pitch over the right center field wall to put LSU ahead, 5-1.
Megan Rhodes took the complete-game loss, just her second of the year, to fall to 12-2 on the season. She allowed five runs on nine hits with two strikeouts.
In the first game, the Lady Vols got one break in the fifth inning and used it to earn the win. LSU took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Jackson that scored Shannon Stein from second after a double. Stein finished 2-for-3 with two of the Tigers’ four hits in the game.
Tennessee came back in the fifth with two runs to take the lead that would prove to be the final. Liane Horiuchi reached on a fielding error by Stein to lead off the inning. A sacrifice bunt sent her to second. On a single by India Chiles, Horiuchi moved to third. Chiles then stole second to put a pair in scoring position. With two outs, Lindsay Schutzler singled on a bloop into right center that allowed both Horiuchi and the speedy Chiles to score.
“They put a bunt down when they needed to and then they executed,” said Girouard. “That was the difference in the first game, along with (Monica) Abbott. In a game of this magnitude, everything little thing counts and it did count today, but it counted against us.”
Dani Hofer took just her second loss of the season and first in conference play to fall to 21-2 overall. Allowing just two unearned runs on six hits with a walk, she also recorded five strikeouts. Abbott earned the win for Tennessee. She allowed a run on four hits with a walk and 13 strikeouts in the complete-game effort.
“Dani threw very well today, but Tennessee got the hits when they needed to,” said Girouard. “It’s very hard to keep that offense from scoring because, again, they have a lot of weapons and put the ball in play a lot.”
The Tigers have now faced No. 1-ranked teams on eight occasions. LSU has recorded a 2-6 record in those games. The Tigers defeated No. 1 Arizona in the second game of the NCAA Super Regionals last year to force a decisive third game, marking the Wildcats’ first and only loss in the program’s history in a game at home that would have sent Arizona to the Women’s College World Series.
After Sunday’s game, LSU closes out the regular season with a trip to Athens, Ga. The Tigers will face Georgia in a three game series, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT and concluding with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
LSU will then participate in the SEC Tournament the following weekend in Auburn, Ala., which has currently yet to qualify for the postseason tournament. The three-day single elimination tournament will give one of the eight participating teams an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament before the field is announced on Sunday, May 13.