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Softball Faces Elimination After 1-0 Loss at ASU

by LSUsports.net (@LSUsports)
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Softball Faces Elimination After 1-0 Loss at ASU

TEMPE, Ariz. — After pitching nine scoreless innings, Emily Turner allowed the only run of the game, breaking a scoreless tie in the 10th as the 10th-seeded LSU softball team fell, 1-0, to seventh-seeded Arizona State in the best-of-three NCAA Super Regional on Friday night at Farrington Field.

The loss dropped the Tigers to 55-11 on the season and put them in a position to have to sweep a doubleheader from the Sun Devils on Saturday evening. Arizona State improved to 53-15 overall and needs to only win one game on Saturday to advance to the Women’s College World Series.

“This was a great collegiate atmosphere for a Super Regional,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “The bottom line is they strung some hits together and we didn’t. That is usually what happens in these types of games. When it goes to extra innings like that, you can almost see the game developing that way. It’s going to be the one who blinks and the one who gets the hits that wins. They got it and we didn’t.

NCAA Super Regional Pairings

All Times Central and subject to change

Cal St. Fullerton (38-21) at (1) Arizona (42-12-1)
(Sat., 7 p.m. ESPN; Sun., 2 p.m./4:30 p.m. ESPNU)

(9) Michigan (46-13) at (8) Baylor (50-13)
(Fri., 6:30 p.m.; Sat., 1 p.m./3:30 p.m.)
Game 1: Baylor, 9-0 (5)
Game 2: Baylor, 4-0
(8) Baylor advances to Women’s College World Series

Hawai’i (50-13) at (5) Tennessee (59-6)
(Fri., 7 p.m. ESPNU; Sat., 3 p.m./5:30 p.m. ESPNU)
Game 1: Tennessee, 9-0 (5)
Game 2: Hawai’i, 9-6
Game 3: Tennessee, 7-1
(5) Tennessee advances to Women’s College World Series

(13) Florida (50-21) at (4) Texas A&M (45-12)
(Fri., 6:30 p.m. ESPN; Sat., 1 p.m./3:30 p.m. ESPN)
Game 1: Texas A&M, 2-0
Game 2: Florida, 3-2

(14) DePaul (45-11) at (3) Oklahoma (55-7)
(Sat., 11 a.m. ESPN; Sun., noon/2:30 p.m. ESPN)
Game 1: DePaul, 3-0

(11) Alabama (55-10) at (6) Washington (40-17)
(Fri., 5:30 p.m.; Sat., 2 p.m./4:30 p.m.)
Game 1: Washington, 4-3
Game 2: Washington, 7-5
(6) Washington advances to Women’s College World Series

(10) LSU (55-11) at (7) Arizona St. (53-15)
(Fri., 9 p.m.; Sat., 6:30 p.m./9 p.m.)
Game 1: Arizona St., 1-0 (10)

South Carolina (38-26) at (2) Northwestern (50-11)
(Fri., 3 p.m.; Sat., 1 p.m./3:30 p.m.)
Game 1: Northwestern, 6-1
Game 2: Northwestern, 3-0
(2) Northwestern advances to Women’s College World Series

Being in the position where it loses the first game of a series before coming back to win the series is a familiar one for LSU. The Tigers lost the first games of five Southeastern Conference series this year and came back to win the final two on four occasions, with the one exception being Georgia, where LSU won game two and dropped game three in extra innings.

“We’ve played a lot of SEC games where we lost the first game and came back to win the series,” said Girouard. “That is the approach we have to take. We get that many more chances to swing against her (Katie Burkhart) tomorrow and that’s the approach we have to take.”

Turner (21-7) went the distance for the Tigers and pitched a gem until giving up the game winner in the 10th. The senior All-American allowed just the lone run, while scattering five hits, walking six and striking out seven. Through seven innings, she had allowed only one hit, but gave up two of the five in the decisive final inning.

The LSU offense could not come through with the timely hit for the Tigers. LSU was held to just two singles, but had three runners on base, including a prime situation with a runner on third and one out in the seventh, but could not come away with the run.

Burkhart earned the complete-game win for Arizona State to improve to 34-11. She allowed two hits and walked one with 15 strikeouts in the contest.

“Katie Burkhart was as good as advertised and I was very impressed with her,” said Girouard. “I thought Emily matched her pitch-for-pitch and gutted it out and made some huge pitches.”

In the bottom of the first, Turner worked her way into and out of trouble. After walking the first two batters on 10 pitches, the runners advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. Turner then retired the next two batters by strikeout to end the inning.

Turner got in trouble again with walks in the bottom of the third. With one out, she walked Jessica Mapes and Kaitlin Cochran for the second time. Bianca Cruz then hit a bloop into left field that was close to being caught by Andrea Smith. The near play forced Mapes to hold up in case the play was made and a head’s up Jazz Jackson was able to throw her out a third.

On a ball hit to Shannon Stein at second, she attempted to make a play at second with two outs, but then thought better of it, allowing Mindy Cowles to reach on an infield single for the first Arizona State hit of the game.

With two outs in the top of the fifth, Vanessa Soto broke up the perfect game by Katie Burkhart with a bloop single into left center. Stein then came up and hit a deep fly ball to left center that almost had the distance, but was caught on the warning track to end the inning.

In the top of the second inning, Rachel Mitchell led off with a single up the middle. With Dee Dee Henderson running for her, she moved to second on a sacrifice by Leslie Klein. After Killian Roessner struck out swinging, Henderson advanced to third on a wild pitch. Quinlan Duhon then flew out to center field to end the inning.

The Sun Devils matched LSU in the bottom half of the inning. Jackie Vasquez led off with an infield single. With one, she moved to second on an infield ground out by Michelle Smith. Pinch hitter Caylyn Carlson then grounded out to third base to end the inning.

After stranding a runner on first in the ninth, Arizona State got a one-out walk by Mapes in the 10th. A single to left center by Cochran moved Mapes to second. With two outs, Mindy Cowles drove the first pitch to left center, knocking in Mapes, for the walk-off win.

The pair will meet again on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CDT and the Tigers need a win to force a game three at 9 p.m. CDT. Last season, LSU forced a decisive game three at Arizona in the NCAA Super Regionals, but could not overcome the Wildcats. Once again, the NCAA Super Regional games will be broadcast in Baton Rouge on Country Legends 107.3 FM.