Well, if you told me that LSU would get three home runs and four runs off Arizona State’s top pitcher, I would say, hey let’s get that second game started Saturday.
Unfortunately, one of their batters went yard as well and it was four a grand slam and it propelled ASU to the Women’s College World Series with a 7-4 win.
So with the softball season all over for another year, here are a few thoughts from Saturday’s game:
Let’s start with the seniors:
Leslie Klein — when the LSU media guide comes out next year, Klein’s name will be all over the records section and why shouldn’t it? Of all the players in the 11 years of the program, she may have been one of the most valuable who didn’t play in the circle. The all-time home run leader and so much more was just solid and came through time after time when the Tigers needed her most.
Emily Turner — her performance the last two nights showed her talent…she was sometimes overshadowed by Monica Abbott and a couple of other pitchers in the last four years in the SEC, but her senior year was as good as any. Despite being a senior and a much loved star player by the fans, she worked well with Dani Hofer and didn’t mind at all when Dani came in to get her to save a game or took it upon herself as a challenge to get the win for Dani. I still remember her as a freshman in Tuscaloosa at the SEC Tournament during a rain delay. Turner had somehow made her way up to the press box and had borrowed someone’s computer and was sitting among the writers talking softball and checking her email. That’s truly our Emily.
Kristen Hobbs — There had to be a smile on Yvette Girouard‘s face when Hobbs cleared the fence with a pitch in her first at bat after the coach had brought her in to catch with Turner. It was great to see her get to play a major role in her final game as a Tiger. She’s already received a post-graduate scholarship award from the SEC and her love of the game from day one despite surgery and injury are something I wish more athletes in all sports displayed.
The SEC
The league took a big step forward with five teams in the super regionals, but only Tennessee will get to Oklahoma City again. Will this help the league in the future? Don’t know. The things you here on the sly are that the league beats up on each other too much during the regular season and doesn’t do enough outside the league. But it’s hard to get some of these teams to travel to SEC schools in February and March when they know lots of teams will be happy to make trips out west.
One thing I do think is that at least the top eight national seeds should be protected and able to play at home in the first round. Now that does nothing to help LSU, a 10 seed, but Oklahoma shouldn’t have to go to New York and frankly, Arizona State earned the right to play at home last week as well.
This committee struggles to make a bracket every year that leaves more and more people unhappy each year. I don’t see it getting better in the future.
The road for softball ends on a Saturday night in Tempe. The loss was hard, but the memories were special.