HONOLULU — The No. 19 LSU softball team picked up a 10-5 victory Thursday in its 2009 season opener during the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium on the University of Hawai`i campus.
LSU (1-0) improved to 12-1 in season openers since softball was reinstated in 1997. The Tigers also won their 18th consecutive game on opening weekend dating back to the 2005 season under head coach Yvette Girouard.
The Tiger freshmen class went a combined 4-for-11 with five runs scored and five RBIs, while Rachel Mitchell picked up where she left off the 2008 season with a 1-for-2 effort scoring two runs and tacking on two RBIs.
Anissa Young gave LSU a 4-0 lead in the second inning, belting a grand slam down the left field line on a 1-0 pitch during her first collegiate at-bat. A pair of two-out walks issued to Morgan Russell and Jessica Mouse kept the frame alive after a Juliana Santos lead-off single.
“A win is a win,” head coach Yvette Girouard said. “I saw some good things out there and we expected some jitters during a first game with all of these young players. I thought our short game offensively looked great, but our offense has to learn to put a team away when we get the chance. Juliana and Anissa were dynamite in their collegiate debuts.”
Kirsten Shortridge earned the win for LSU in the circle, firing three innings of one-hit ball to go along with four strikeouts. Casey Faile recorded the save, getting the final out with the bases loaded to preserve the 10-5 win.
“Kirsten was lights out and put us in a position to win,” Girouard said. “We’re looking for innings right now in the circle as we deal with our injuries. Casey was big for us getting the final out when we needed it.”
LSU pushed the advantage to 6-0, adding two runs in the third inning. The first four LSU players reached base as capped by an Ashley Langoni bases loaded walk. A UAB error on a Jessica Mouse ground ball made it 6-0.
The Blazers trimmed the deficit to 6-2 on a two-run double by Laura Callaway in the fourth inning. LSU responded in the home half of the frame as Mitchell drove in Shortridge on a sacrifice fly.
UAB got within 7-3 in the fifth inning on an Andrea Rogers sacrifice fly before the Tigers capitalized on a pair of Blazer errors in the sixth inning to take a 10-3 lead.
Callaway finished a 3-for-4 day for the Blazers with a RBI-single in the seventh. With two outs and the bases loaded, the Tigers turned to Casey Faile to get the final out. She delivered by getting Erica Sisson to ground out to seal the 10-5 victory.
LSU continues pool play Friday facing off against No. 10 Oklahoma and host Hawai`i.
“We got the first game jitters out and the competition will rise greatly tomorrow,” Girouard said. “It will be a welcome to college softball for a lot of our young faces.”
First pitch against the Sooners is slated for 7:00 p.m. CT followed by an 11:00 p.m. CT first pitch versus the Rainbow Wahine. Live stats for both games will be available on LSUSports.net