TEMPE, Ariz. — Despite a valiant comeback attempt, the 10th-seeded LSU softball team saw their season come to an end with a 7-4 loss to seventh-seeded Arizona State in the NCAA Super Regionals on Saturday afternoon at Farrington Stadium.
The loss concludes the Tigers season at 55-12 overall, marking the second straight year LSU has advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals, but could not get past a higher-seeded team from Arizona. The Sun Devils improved to 54-12 on the year and advance to the Women’s College World Series for the second straight year.
The game marked the final career outings for three great Tiger seniors ? Kristen Hobbs, Emily Turner and Leslie Klein. Coming back from “Tammy Jane” surgery last year, Hobbs had her best season as a senior. In her final collegiate game, she hit her eighth home run of the year. Turner, a 2006 All-American, came on in relief in her final career game and threw the final six and two-thirds innings but did not earn a decision. A two-time All-American, Klein closes out her outstanding career as the LSU record holder for single season and career home runs and single season and career doubles among many records she holds.
NCAA Super Regional Pairings
All Times Central and subject to change
Cal St. Fullerton (38-23) at (1) Arizona (44-12-1)
(Sat., 7 p.m. ESPN; Sun., 2 p.m./4:30 p.m. ESPNU)
Game 1: Arizona, 11-6
Game 2: Arizona, 2-1
(1) Arizona advances to Women’s College World Series
(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 (50-22) at (4) Texas A&M (46-12)
(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
Game 3: Texas A&M, 2-0
(4) Texas A&M advances to Women’s College World Series
(14) DePaul (46-11) at (3) Oklahoma (55-8)
(Sat., 11 a.m. ESPN; Sun., noon/2:30 p.m. ESPN)
Game 1: DePaul, 3-0
Game 2: DePaul, 7-2
(14) DePaul advances to Women’s College World Series
(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 (55-12) at (7) Arizona St. (54-15)
(Fri., 9 p.m.; Sat., 6:30 p.m./9 p.m.)
Game 1: Arizona St., 1-0 (10)
Game 2: Arizona St., 7-4
(7) Arizona St. advances to Women’s College World Series
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
Dani Hofer started and took the loss for LSU to fall to 24-3 on the season. She allowed four runs on a grand slam, with three hits, two walks and strikeout in a third of an inning. Turner came on in relief and gave up only two hits with three runs, only one of which was earned, while walking four and striking out nine.
“Emily gave us a chance to win,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “The bottom line is we needed home field advantage in this series.”
Adding three home runs in the game, the Tigers came up two homers shy of the LSU single season record with 58. Rachel Mitchell hit her fourth in the last four games, while Quinlan Duhon recorded her third in the last five games. Hobbs also closed out her career with a home run in her last game.
“What I would have given for one of those bombs last night,” Girouard said about the Tigers’ 1-0 loss in 10 innings to the Sun Devils on Friday night.
For the second straight day, Katie Burkhart went the whole way and earned the win for Arizona State. She allowed four runs on six hits with a walk and 12 strikeouts.
LSU put itself in a hole early in the game. Jessica Mapes led off the first with a single up the middle. After back-to-back walks to Kaitlin Cochran and Mindy Cowles, Jackie Vasquez hit a grand slam to right center field to put the Sun Devils ahead, 4-0.
The Tigers started their comeback in the bottom half of the inning. Mitchell hit a one out single through the right side. With two outs, Quinlan Duhon recorded her third home run in five games, driving in Mitchell to cut the Arizona State lead in half, 4-2.
LSU got another one back in the bottom of the second. With one out, Kristen Hobbs, who came on in the first to catch, slammed her eighth home run of the year to left field, putting the Tigers behind by only one. Unfortunately, LSU could never quite make a full comeback to tie it up.
“I think when we came back with the home run in the second and then the next two batters struck out, we had the chance to put the knife into them and we could have scared them half to death,” said Girouard. “But then we had two strikeouts in the dirt. It kind of sent the message back to her (Burkhart) that she could get out of anything.”
An error came back to hurt LSU in the top of the fifth. With one out, Cochran drew a walk. On a pop up just in front of the plate, Hobbs dropped the ball and Emily Turner did not attempt to make a play at either first or second and the error was charged to Hobbs on the drop. With two outs, Bianca Cruz doubled to left field, allowing Cochran and Cowles to score and extend the Sun Devil lead to three, 6-3.
Another home run for the Tigers in the bottom half of the inning put LSU right back into the mix. With two outs, Mitchell recorded her team-leading 12th home run of the season. She has now recorded four home runs in the last four games, including two against Stanford in the NCAA Palo Alto Regional championship game.
Arizona State added its final run in the top of the sixth inning. Kristen Miller led off with a single and was pinch run for by Andorfer-Lopez. After a walk to Rhiannon Baca, a fielder’s choice got Baca going to second. Michelle Smith then stole second. With two outs, Cochran was intentionally walked to load the bases. A walk to Cowles scored Andorfer-Lopez to run the score to the final of 7-4.