LSU Gold

Softball Falls at Georgia in Nine Innings, 1-0; Wins SEC West

by LSUsports.net (@LSUsports)
SEC Tournament Bracket (.pdf) Box Score +0
Softball Falls at Georgia in Nine Innings, 1-0; Wins SEC West

ATHENS, Ga. — A two out RBI single by Kristin Schnake scored Courtni Joyner just under the tag of Killian Roessner to give Georgia the 1-0 win over the fourth-ranked LSU softball team in nine innings on Sunday afternoon at the UGA Soccer/Softball Complex.

With the loss, the Tigers dropped to 49-10 on the season, losing 2-of-3 against the Bulldogs for their only conference series loss of the year, and concluded Southeastern Conference play at 22-6. Georgia improved to 43-25 overall and ended their league schedule at 13-15.

Because Tennessee swept Alabama on Sunday, LSU claimed its eighth SEC Western Division title and the second seed in the SEC Tournament, which begins Thursday in Auburn. LSU will take on South Carolina at 1:30 p.m. CT on Thursday. 

“The bottom line is that we didn’t get it done,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “Our best players didn’t do the job this weekend. Unfortunately, we picked the wrong weekend to lose our first series of the year, but we’ve got to go on from here. If we meet Georgia in the SEC Tournament, maybe we can extract some revenge.”

Both teams had several chances in the contest, but the Tigers could not convert and it took the Bulldogs until the ninth to push a run across the plate. LSU stranded seven on base, including give in scoring position, and hit into three doubles plays, which thwarted most of the Tigers scoring opportunities. Georgia left nine on base in the game, as Emily Turner kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard for over eight innings before surrendering the first run of the game.

“We certainly fought today,” said Girouard. “It was an absolutely incredible game from the standpoint that we literally couldn’t catch a break. The ball was foul by inches for a home run, the very hard hit balls turned into double plays that got us out of innings.”

Turner took the complete-game loss to fall to 18-6 on the season, despite an outstanding performance in the circle. The senior All-American scattered nine hits and walked only one while striking out seven. Kasi Carroll earned the complete-game shutout win to improve to 26-8 on the year. She allowed six hits and a walk while striking out nine.

“On a brighter note, I thought that Emily threw very well in front of a very hostile crowd,” said Girouard.

Vanessa Soto and Shannon Stein each went 2-for-4 on the day to lead the Tigers. Jazz Jackson and Leslie Klein also added hits. Killian Roessner appeared to put LSU on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning with a ball that left the yard down the left field with one on, but the home plate umpire ruled the ball was foul despite an argument from Girouard.

After Georgia stranded a runner on second in the bottom of the first, the Tigers came back with an error and back-to-back singles to load the bases with no outs in the top of the second. Unfortunately, LSU could get nothing out of it as Andrea Smith hit into a double play on a sharply hit ball down the right field line. Bulldog third baseman Christie Hamilton tagged Tayl’r Hollis going home and then stepped on the third base bag to get Soto going to third.

Georgia stranded a runner on third in the third and then had runners left on second and third in the fifth as Turner came up with some big pitches to keep the runners from scoring.

In the top of the sixth, it looked as though LSU was going to break through with a pair of runs. After Klein drew a two-out walk, Roessner nailed a ball over the left field fence that was ruled foul by the home plate umpire, though it could not have been foul by more than a foot.

The Tigers had another shot in the top of the seventh. Soto and Stein led off with back-to-back singles. Kristen Hobbs then sacrificed them to second and third. Erika Sluss then grounded out to third for the second out. Jackson hit a line shot to the outfield, but it went straight to left fielder Charvi Greer for to end the inning.

With two outs in the bottom half of the inning, Kellie Middleton doubled down the left field line. Turner came back to get Sojourner Moody to ground out to her in the circle to end the threat and send the game to extra innings.

The Bulldogs ended the game in the bottom of the ninth. Hamilton led off with a single to center field. She was sacrificed down to second. With two outs, Schnake came up the plate with Joyner running for Hamilton at second. Schnake punched a single into shallow center field. Leslie Klein came up throwing and made the play at the plate close as Joyner just snuck in under the tag of Roessner for the game winner.

In 36 meetings, LSU leads the all-time series with a 24-12 record. The Tigers are now 10-7 in Athens, but have lost five straight series to Georgia, including three in Athens. Girouard is 15-13 all-time against the Bulldogs, with all 18 meetings coming while she has been at LSU.

2007 SEC Softball Tournament

Thursday, May 10
Game 1 – # 3 Alabama vs. # 6 Georgia 11 a.m. CT
Game 2 – # 2 LSU vs. # 7 South Carolina 1:30 p.m. CT
Game 3 – # 4 Florida vs. # 5 Mississippi State 5 p.m. CT
Game 4 – # 1 Tennessee vs. # 8 Ole Miss 7:30 p.m. CT

Friday, May 11
Game 5 – G1 winner vs. G2 winner 5 p.m. CT
Game 6 – G3 winner vs. G4 winner 7:30 p.m. CT

Saturday, May 12
Game 7 – G5 winner vs. G6 winner 12:00 p.m. [FSN South]