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HR's Send Softball to NCAA Super Regional, 11-5

by LSUsports.net (@LSUsports)
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HR's Send Softball to NCAA Super Regional, 11-5

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Tying the NCAA Regional and school record with five home runs, including a grand slam by MVP Rachel Mitchell, led the third-ranked and 10th-seeded LSU softball team past No. 16 Stanford in the NCAA Regional championship game on Saturday afternoon at the Smith Family Stadium to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals for the second straight year.

With the win, the Tigers improved to 55-10 on the season and will now face seventh-seeded Arizona State in the NCAA Super Regionals. The Sun Devils were winners of the NCAA Provo Regional, defeating BYU on Saturday afternoon. The pair will face off in the best of three series beginning either next Friday and continuing through Saturday, or starting Saturday and continuing through Sunday. The winner of the Super Regional will advance to the Women’s College World Series. The loss dropped the Cardinal to 35-11-1 on the year and ended their season.

“This game was like a heavyweight slugfest and I don’t think either side predicted this was going to happen in the first few innings,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “I’ve never been in a game like this in the NCAA Tournament. I’ve been in a couple games in the SEC where I was about to get run-ruled and then beat a team 15-12, but never in this big a matchup.”

NCAA Super Regional Pairings

Cal St. Fullerton (38-21) at (1) Arizona (42-12-1)
(9) Michigan (46-11) at (8) Baylor (48-13)
Hawai’i (49-11) at (5) Tennessee (57-5)
(13) Florida (49-20) at (4) Texas A&M (44-11)

(14) DePaul (44-11) at (3) Oklahoma (55-6)
(11) Alabama (55-8) at (6) Washington (38-17)
(10) LSU (55-10) at (7) Arizona St. (52-15)
South Carolina (38-24) at (2) Northwestern (48-11)

Mitchell earned regional Most Valuable Player honors after hitting three home runs in three consecutive at-bats starting with the game winner in the ninth inning against Fresno State and concluding with a grand slam in the second inning against Stanford. She concluded the tournament 3-for-9 with a walk, two sacrifices, three home runs, three runs scored and six RBIs.

“Wow, what can you say about Rachel Mitchell, except ‘wow’?” said Girouard.

In addition to Mitchell, Quinlan Duhon, Dani Hofer, Andrea Smith, Vanessa Soto and Emily Turner were named to the all-regional team. Duhon hit a pair of home runs, including the game winner against Cal State Northridge, while Smith and Soto led the team with a combined seven hits, two doubles, a home run and an RBI. Hofer went 1-0 with the win in over the Cardinal in the championship game, while Turner went 2-0 to put the Tigers into the championship game.

Hofer earned the win in the championship game in relief. The sophomore came on in the third and held Stanford scoreless for the final five innings. She scattered four hits with five strikeouts to improve to 24-2 on the season. Emily Turner started and allowed five runs, four earned, on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts in two innings.

“I give a lot of credit to Dani,” said Girouard. “She came in had a little rough going at the beginning, but we challenged her and she shut them down. That is what we needed.”

Missy Penna took the loss for Stanford in the circle to fall to 25-13 on the year. She allowed nine runs on seven hits with three walks and six strikeouts in five innings. Becky McCullough came on in relief and allowed the final two runs on two hits with a strikeout in two innings.

“I had a feeling that Stanford was probably going to run out of pitching since Penna had thrown so many innings,” said Girouard. “I thought we did a very good job of being disciplined at the plate right away. We had a plan and the kids stuck to it right away. I know Penna is a good pitcher but I just think she ran out of gas.”

In the top of the first inning, the Tigers got off to a good start. With one out, Mitchell blasted her second home run of the regional. After hitting the game-winning home run in the top of the ninth inning on Friday, Mitchell came back to give LSU the early lead with her team-leading 10th home run of the season.

Stanford answered Mitchell’s home run with a home run of its own. The problem for the Tigers was that Maddy Coon’s home run came with a pair of runners on base, putting the Cardinal ahead, 3-1. It marked the first home run given up by Turner since allowing one at Washington on March 3 and just the sixth she has allowed all year.

For the third time in three at-bats, Mitchell came through with a home run in the top of the second. The freshman made this one really count as the blast came with the bases loaded. It is the grand slam of Mitchell’s career and a school record fifth for LSU this season. The two-out shot was pounded over the right center field fence, just left of where her first round tripper left the yard, and put the Tigers ahead, 5-3.

“I have no idea what pitches she threw me,” said Mitchell about her two home run swings. “I’m just trying to do what coach said yesterday and cut my head off, don’t think about it, and just swing and luckily that is working for me.”

In the bottom of the third, Stanford tied the game at five with help from a pair of errors by LSU. Tricia Aggabao led off with a single to right field. A double down the right field line by Alissa Haber put runners on second and third. On a line shot to left field by Michelle Smith, Jazz Jackson came up and had the ball in her glove at her shoestrings, but dropped it, allowing Aggabao to score and Haber to move to third.

With Michelle Schroeder running for Smith, Schroeder stole second to put runners on second and third. An error by Andrea Smith off the bat of Maddy Coon allowed Haber to score before Jackson threw Schroeder out at the plate. Hofer then got back-to-back ground outs to end the inning.

The long ball again played a role for LSU as the Tigers retook the lead. After a leadoff single by Andrea Smith, Klein came up with two outs and jacked a pitch over the field in straight away center field. It marked LSU’s third home run of the game and for Klein, it was her ninth of the season and more importantly, the 32nd of her career, which broke the Tiger career home run record.

The balls continued to leave the yard for LSU as Quinlan Duhon led off the top of the fifth inning with a solo shot to left center field. It marked the fourth home run of the game for the Tigers, the second time this season LSU has recorded four homers in a game. The last time the Tigers hit four home runs was against Southern at home on April 17.

For the second straight inning, LSU led off the inning with a home run. In the top of the sixth, it was Smith who took one deep, slamming a ball over the center field fence and onto the ESPN2 camera platform just beyond the fence. It was her second home run of the season and tied the Tiger single-game record for home runs with five.

LSU concluded the scoring with a pair in the top of the seventh. After Killian Roessner led off with an infield single, Dee Dee Henderson came on to run for her. With one out, Henderson advanced to second on a ground out by Soto. Shannon Stein was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Tayl’r Hollis nailed a pitch to right field, LSU’s 101st double of the season, which scored both Henderson and Stein and pushed the Tigers’ lead to 11-5.

Hofer then retired the Cardinal batters in order to end the inning. She allowed only two hits over the final three innings and did not let a Stanford runner reach third base.

Palo Alto Regional


May 17-19 at Palo Alto, Calif.
All Times Central and subject to change

Thursday, May 17

Game 1: (10) LSU def. Cal St. Northridge, 3-2
Game 2: Fresno State def. Stanford, 2-0

Friday, May 18
Game 3: (10) LSU def. Fresno St., 1-0 (9)
Game 4: Stanford def. Cal St. Northridge (23-23), 3-0
Cal St. Northridge eliminated
Game 5: Stanford def. Fresno St. (47-18), 1-0
Fresno St. eliminated

Saturday, May 19
Game 6: (10) LSU (55-10) def. Stanford (35-21-1), 11-5
Stanford eliminated
LSU advances to NCAA Super Regional

NCAA Softball Regionals

May 17-20, 2007
Campus Sites
(host indicated by *)
All times Central and subject to change

Tucson Regional – May 18-20 at Tucson, Ariz.
Live Stats
Friday
Mississippi St. def. Pacific, 7-1
*(1) Arizona def. Howard, 9-0 (5)
Saturday
*(1) Arizona def. Mississippi St., 8-0
Pacific def. Howard (35-21), 13-0 (5)
Howard eliminated
Pacific def. Mississippi St. (35-27), 12-10
Mississippi St. eliminated
Sunday
*(1) Arizona (42-12-1) def. Pacific (36-24), 7-0
Pacific eliminated
(1) Arizona advances to NCAA Super Regional

Columbus Regional – May 18-20 at Columbus, Ohio
Live Stats
Friday
(16) Virginia Tech def. Canisius, 5-0
*Ohio St. def. Cal St. Fullerton, 2-1
Saturday
*Ohio St. def. (16) Virginia Tech, 2-1
Cal St. Fullerton def. Canisius (27-21), 8-0 (5)
Canisius eliminated
Cal St. Fullerton def. (16) Virginia Tech (48-16), 1-0
(16) Virginia Tech eliminated
Sunday
Cal St. Fullerton def. *Ohio St., 6-5
Cal St. Fullerton (38-21) def. *Ohio St. (40-18), 10-3
Ohio St. eliminated
Cal St. Fullerton advances to NCAA Super Regional

Ann Arbor Regional – May 18-20 at Ann Arbor, Mich.
Live Stats
Friday
Louisville def. Oregon St., 8-0 (5)
*(9) Michigan def. Eastern Michigan, 3-0
Saturday
*(9) Michigan def. Louisville, 6-3
Oregon St. def. Eastern Michigan (27-22), 6-1
Eastern Michigan eliminated
Oregon St. def. Louisville (37-25), 11-4
Louisville eliminated 
Sunday
*(9) Michigan (46-11) def. Oregon St. (41-23), 7-0
Oregon St. eliminated
(9) Michigan advances to Super Regional

Hempstead Regional – May 18-20 at Hempstead, N.Y.
Live Stats
Friday
(8) Baylor def. Albany, 8-2
*Hofstra def. Harvard, 3-2 (9)
Saturday
(8) Baylor def. *Hofstra, 7-2
Albany def. Harvard (31-15), 1-0
Harvard eliminated
Albany def. *Hofstra (41-14), 4-2
*Hofstra eliminated
Sunday
(8) Baylor (48-13) def. Albany (35-17), 10-0 (5)
Albany eliminated
(8) Baylor advances to NCAA Super Regional

Knoxville Regional – May 18-20 at Knoxville, Tenn.
Live Stats
Friday
North Carolina def. Winthrop, 4-3
*(5) Tennessee def. Furman, 8-0 (6)
Saturday
*(5) Tennessee def. North Carolina, 2-0
Winthrop def. Furman (21-36-1), 11-1 (5)
Furman eliminated
Winthrop def. North Carolina (46-21), 6-3
North Carolina eliminated
Sunday
*(5) Tennessee (57-5) def. Winthrop (50-18), 7-0
Winthrop eliminated
(5) Tennessee advances to NCAA Super Regional

Los Angeles Regional – May 18-20 at Los Angeles, Calif.
Live Stats
Friday
Hawai’i def. UC-Santa Barbara, 2-0 (10)
*(12) UCLA def. Loyola Marymount, 6-3
Saturday
Hawai’i (48-11) def. *(12) UCLA, 3-1 (8)
Loyola Marymount def. UC-Santa Barbara (30-23), 5-3
UC-Santa Barbara eliminated
Loyola Marymount def. *(12) UCLA (37-18), 4-2
*(12) UCLA eliminated
Sunday
Hawai’i (49-11) def. Loyola Marymount (47-18), 9-0 (6)
Loyola Marymount eliminated
Hawai’i advances to NCAA Super Regional

Gainesville Regional – May 18-20 at Gainesville, Fla.
Live Stats
Friday
Georgia Tech def. Texas, 3-2
*(13) Florida def. Stetson, 7-0
Saturday
*(13) Florida def. Georgia Tech, 8-0 (5)
Texas def. Stetson (44-22), 2-0
Stetson eliminated
Texas def. Georgia Tech (54-15), 4-2
Georgia Tech eliminated
Sunday
*(13) Florida (49-20) def. Texas (35-20), 3-0
Texas eliminated
(13) Florida advances to NCAA Super Regional

College Station Regional – May 18-20 at College Station ,Texas
Live Stats
Friday
Houston def. UL-Lafayette, 4-3 (9)
*(4) Texas A&M def. Sam Houston St., 9-5
Saturday
Houston def. *(4) Texas A&M, 8-1
Sam Houston St. def. UL-Lafayette (46-18), 2-1
UL-Lafayette eliminated
*(4) Texas A&M def. Sam Houston St. (38-26), 11-0 (6)
Sam Houston St. eliminated
Sunday
*(4) Texas A&M def. Houston, 13-2 (5) 
*(4) Texas A&M (44-11) def. Houston (44-18), 5-0
Houston eliminated
(4) Texas A&M advances to NCAA Super Regional

Amherst Regional – May 18-20 at Amherst, Mass.
Live Stats | Live Video
Friday
(3) Oklahoma def. Colgate, 5-2
*Massachusetts def. Long Island, 4-3 (9)
Saturday
(3) Oklahoma def. *Massachusetts, 2-0
Long Island def. Colgate (25-24), 5-1
Colgate eliminated
*Massachusetts def. Long Island (34-22), 7-3
Long Island eliminated
Sunday
(3) Oklahoma (55-6) def. *Massachusetts (39-14-1), 6-3
Massachusetts eliminated
(3) Oklahoma advances to NCAA Super Regional

Carbondale Regional – May 18-20 at Carbondale, Ill.
Live Stats | Live Video
Friday
(14) DePaul def. Mississippi Valley, 10-0 (6)
Missouri def. *Southern Illinois, 8-0 (5)
Saturday
(14) DePaul def. Missouri, 2-0
*Southern Illinois def. Mississippi Valley (29-28), 7-0
Mississippi Valley eliminated
Missouri def. *Southern Illinois (41-16), 7-4
*Southern Illinois eliminated
Sunday
(14) DePaul (44-11) def. Missouri (40-24), 3-0
Missouri eliminated
(14) DePaul advances to NCAA Super Regional

Tuscaloosa Regional – May 18-20 at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Live Stats
Friday
California def. Florida St., 13-6
Tennessee Tech def. *(11) Alabama, 4-2
Saturday
Tennessee Tech def. California, 3-1
*(11) Alabama def. Florida St. (44-25), 6-3
Florida St. eliminated
*(11) Alabama def. California (34-32), 13-1 (5)
California eliminated
Sunday
*(11) Alabama def. Tennessee Tech, 19-10
*(11) Alabama (55-8) def. Tennessee Tech (50-19), 7-2
Tennessee Tech eliminated
(11) Alabama advances to NCAA Super Regional

Lincoln Regional – May 18-20 at Lincoln, Neb.
Live Stats | Live Video
Friday
(6) Washington def. Creighton, 5-1
Georgia def. *Nebraska, 3-2
Saturday
(6) Washington def. Georgia, 8-0 (5)
Creighton def. *Nebraska (37-20), 2-1
*Nebraska eliminated
Georgia def. Creighton (40-14-1), 3-0
Creighton eliminated
Sunday
Georgia def. (6) Washington, 2-1 (9)
(6) Washington (38-17) def. Georgia (46-28), 1-0 
Georgia eliminated
(6) Washington advances to NCAA Super Regional

Provo Regional – May 17-19 at Provo, Utah
Live Stats | Live Video
Thursday
(7) Arizona St. def. Southern Utah, 2-1 (9)
*Brigham Young def. Cal Poly, 9-0 (5)
Friday
(7) Arizona St. def. *Brigham Young, 7-1
Southern Utah def. Cal Poly (39-17), 9-4
Cal Poly eliminated
*Brigham Young def. Southern Utah (30-31), 10-5
Southern Utah eliminated
Saturday
(7) Arizona St. (52-15) def. *Brigham Young (44-20), 6-3
BYU eliminated
(7) Arizona St. advances to NCAA Super Regional

Palo Alto Regional – May 17-19 at Palo Alto, California
Live Stats
Thursday
(10) LSU def. Cal St. Northridge, 3-2
Fresno St. def. *Stanford, 2-0
Friday
(10) LSU def. Fresno St., 1-0 (9)
*Stanford def. Cal St. Northridge (23-23), 3-0
Cal St. Northridge eliminated
*Stanford def. Fresno St. (47-17), 1-0
Fresno St. eliminated
Saturday
(10) LSU (55-10) def. *Stanford (35-21-1), 11-5
Stanford eliminated
(10) LSU advances to NCAA Super Regional

Columbia Regional – May 18-20 at Columbia, S.C.
Live Stats
Friday
Oregon def. Penn St., 4-0
*South Carolina def. (15) NC State, 5-2
Saturday
Oregon def. *South Carolina, 8-4
(15) NC State def. Penn St. (26-25), 1-0
Penn St. eliminated
*South Carolina def. (15) NC State (42-21), 4-3
NC State eliminated
Sunday
*South Carolina def. Oregon, 2-0
*South Carolina (38-24) def. Oregon (44-19), 4-3
Oregon eliminated
South Carolina advances to NCAA Super Regional

Evanston Regional – May 18-20 at Evanston, Ill.
Live Stats | Live Video
Friday
Illinois St. def. Notre Dame, 2-1
*(2) Northwestern def. Wright St., 4-1
Saturday
*(2) Northwestern def. Illinois St., 5-2
Notre Dame def. Wright St. (25-34), 3-0
Wright St. eliminated
Illinois St. def. Notre Dame (32-24), 3-1
Notre Dame eliminated
Sunday
*(2) Northwestern (48-11) def. Illinois St. (44-17-1), 4-1
Illinois St. eliminated
(2) Northwestern advances to NCAA Super Regional