PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. — With eight home runs combined in two games, the sixth-ranked LSU softball team saw both the highs and lows of the long ball as the Tigers defeated No. 23 Cal State Fullerton, 3-2, in eight innings, before falling to No. 2 Northwestern, 6-4, on Saturday night at the Palm Springs Classic.
With the split, LSU moved to 9-2 on the season, and 2-2 in tournament play. The Tigers’ win over the Titans dropped Fullerton to 5-5-1 on the year and 1-2 in tournament play. The Wildcats improved to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in the tournament.
The home run has been both a blessing and a curse for LSU in Palm Springs. After defeating Pacific on Friday night on a walk-off two-run home run by Killian Roessner, the Tigers used a two-out two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to tie Cal State Fullerton before eventually winning the game in the eighth. LSU used three home runs against Northwestern to jump out to a 4-3 lead going into the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, the Wildcats hit a three-run shot that was the difference in the game.
“It was a heartbreaking, emotional loss to Northwestern,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “Our kids came out fired up. The one difference in the game was that we had solo home runs and they had a big three-run home run. I think it’s hard to see it now, but this will probably help us in the future.”
Against Cal State Fullerton, the home run was both a blessing and a curse. Dani Hofer earned the complete-game win, allowing only two hits in the contest. But, both of those hits went for solo home runs as the Titans took an early 2-0 lead through three innings.
Hits were once again hard to come by for the Tigers, recording only one hit until the bottom of the seventh inning. That is when the home run became the blessing. With two outs, Tayl’r Hollis drew a walk to put the tying run at the plate. Erika Sluss then came through with a home run shot to left center that equaled it up and kept the game alive for LSU.
Hofer kept Fullerton off the board in the bottom of the seventh, to send it to extra innings. In the top of the eighth, the Tigers began with Ashley Applegate on second courtesy of the international tie breaker rule. Applegate moved to third on an infield ground out by Shannon Stein. A single through the right side by Dee Dee Henderson scored what proved to be the winning run.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Titans also began with a runner on second. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt to put the tying run only 60 feet away. With two outs, Sammie Dabbs drew a walk to send the top of the line up to the plate. Not wanting to let Jessica Doucette, who had one of Fullerton’s two home runs, win the game for the Titans, LSU instead chose to intentionally walk her to load the bases. With the winning run at second for Fullerton, Hofer struck out Courtney Martinez to end the game.
“I’m not sure I want to be known as the comeback kids and we’d like to score before the seventh inning,” said Girouard. “It’s both good and bad for us because we want to score first, but we know now that we can come back even late in the game. Sluss came up with the huge home run and Dee Dee came up with the big game-winning RBI after struggling a little at the plate.”
Hofer improved to 6-0 on the season with the complete-game win. She allowed two runs on two hits with three walks and a season-high 14 strikeouts. Doucette took the loss in the circle for the Titans to fall to 2-3 on the year. She allowed three runs on three hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
Against Northwestern, Tiger hurler Tiffany Garcia struggled a little with her accuracy in the bottom of the first inning, leading to a run for Northwestern that put the Wildcats ahead, 1-0. It was the home run that once again evened it up for the Tigers as Tayl’r Hollis hit her third homer of the season in the top of the second. It marked the third home run of the tournament for LSU, but the first not coming in the seventh inning of a contest.
In the top of the third, the Tigers got their second runner into scoring position as Stein singled up the middle with one out. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Henderson. Unfortunately, LSU could not capitalize as Jazz Jackson grounded out to end the inning.
After Garcia retired six straight following the first Wildcat run, Northwestern once again took the lead and once again it was by way of the home run. Michelle Batts hit a 2-2 count over the fence in left field. That lead didn’t last long for the Wildcats. Rachel Mitchell, who led LSU with 12 home runs last season, blasted her first of the season, sending a ball deep down the right field line to tie it up at two all.
The home run derby continued in the top of the fourth. With one out, Quinlan Duhon crushed her second home run of the season to deep center field to give the Tigers their first lead of the game, 3-2.
In the bottom half of the inning, Northwestern loaded the bases with two outs. A hit, hit by pitch and walk put runners on every base with the Wildcats’ best hitter, All-American Tammy Williams, coming to the plate. Garcia then got Williams to strike out swinging, Williams’ first strikeout of the season, to end the threat and the inning.
LSU added a fourth run in the top of the fifth. With one out, Stein drew a walk. After a long battle at the plate, Henderson struck out, but Stein stole second on the play. An infield single by Jackson pushed Stein to third. After Jackson stole second, Mitchell reached on a fielding error by the second baseman, as the ball rolled under her glove and into the outfield. The error allowed Stein to score before Jackson was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
Northwestern got one back in the bottom half of the inning. Nicole Pauley led off with a double to center field that was just out of the reach of a diving Jackson. After a walk to Michelle Batts, Pauley moved to third on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly ball to right field allowed Pauley to score as Aly Enler, pinch running for Batts, moved to second. Garcia then struck out the Dyer sisters back-to-back to end the inning.
With two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the sixth, Hofer came on in relief of Garcia. After she hit Williams to put runners on first and second, Pauley hit a home run to left field that put Northwestern ahead, 6-4, its first lead since the third inning.
LSU got a pair of fly balls into the outfield to start the seventh, but both were caught for the first two outs. After a battle at the plate by Henderson, she struck out on a check swing to end the game.
Hofer took the loss in relief, her first loss of the season, falling to 6-1. She allowed two runs on one hit in a third of an inning. Garcia started and gave up four runs on four hits with six walks and five strikeouts in six and two-thirds. Lauren Delaney earned the complete-game win to improve to 5-1 on the season. She allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits with a walk and 12 strikeouts.
“Tiffany did a great job handling the team that I voted the No. 1 team in the country this week,” said Girouard.
The Tigers will close out tournament play on Sunday against top 10-ranked Arizona. LSU will face the Wildcats, 3-1 in tournament play, at 11 a.m. CT.
“We get another chance tomorrow to knock off a softball giant when we play Arizona,” said Girouard.
LSU 000 000 21 – 3 3 0
Fullerton 101 000 00 – 2 2 0
Dani Hofer and Killian Roessner. Jessica Doucette and Lauren Lupinetti. WP ? Hofer (6-0). LP ? Doucette (2-3). S ? None. HR ? Erika Sluss, Jessica Doucette, Katie Golhardt. T ? 1:57.
LSU 010 210 0 – 4 7 0
NU 101 013 x – 6 5 1
Tiffany Garcia, Dani Hofer (6) and Killian Roessner. Lauren Delaney and Erin Dyer. WP ? Delaney (5-1). LP ? Hofer (6-1). S ? None. HR ? Tayl’r Hollis, Rachel Mitchell, Quinlan Duhon, Michelle Batts, Nicole Pauley. T ? 2:09.