LSU third baseman Jessica Mouse will write a daily blog for LSUSports.net from Hawai`i as the Tiger softball team opens the 2009 season against UAB, No. 10 Oklahoma and host Hawai`i. The blog starts Monday, Feb. 2, as LSU makes its final preparations and continues through Saturday.
Final Entry No. 6
Feb. 8, 2009
Good Morning from Baton Rouge! Our trip has finally come to an end and most of us didn’t want to say goodbye to Hawai`i!
In our first game against UAB, we waited too long to start playing and it didn’t turn out in our favor at the end. The intensity wasn’t as high as it should have been and we always talk about how we need to always incorporate that. After the loss, we went to the bus to try and regroup before we played our next opponent.
Hawai`i also lost their first game against Oklahoma so we would match up with them in the consolation game. Kirsten Shortridge led off with a home run to give us an early lead in the bottom of the first.
Hawai`i came back and scored five consecutive runs to take a four-run lead into the bottom of the seventh inning. We came shooting out of cannon and notched four runs on four hits to tie the score at 5-5 and send the game into extra innings. Once we tied the game up, I knew we were going to come out on top.
Shortridge threw a runner out at the plate in the ninth inning to keep the game tied at 5-5. When we ran into the huddle, we were determined to get the job done this time.
With only one out and bases loaded, Ashley Applegate came up and watched ball four. It was an awesome feeling to watch her run to first and Ashley Langoni cross the plate. We never gave up during the game and fought our way to a victory.
I’m very proud of all my teammates. Cody Trahan pitched a great game to start followed by an amazing job in relief by Brittany Mack.
We’re all very thankful for the chance the University, the Athletic Department and coaches gave us for letting us play here. We’ll always remember this trip and have many stories to tell our families in the future. The people of Hawai`i were very nice and welcomed us wherever we went.
This has been a long trip and all of us have to get back in the groove with school. We’re very excited about our home opener this Wednesday and are looking forward to opening the new Tiger Park with a bang! Hope everyone comes out and supports us in our home opener.
Geaux Tigers,
Jessica
Entry No. 5
Feb. 6, 2009
Today was all about business. We prepared early for the competition today. Our first game was against Oklahoma and we knew from the start that we were going to have to fight the entire game. We came out and didn’t play our “A” game. D.J. Mathis for Oklahoma pitched a great game and we weren’t as aggressive as we should have been. It showed as Oklahoma beat us, 8-0.
During our end of the game speech, we talked about what we needed to fix before our game against Hawai`i. All of us regained focus and came out firing from the first inning. Casey Faile pitched an amazing game and kept Hawai`i team on their heels.
Kirsten Shortridge did a great job in the leadoff spot going 3-for-4 and stealing almost every time. She is a fun player to watch especially because you don’t realize how fast she really is. Jazz Jackson, Rachel Mitchell and Juliana Santos also had amazing games and put lots of hits together to keep our team on top. We never let down the entire game and realized this is how we need to be every game.
Tomorrow we play against UAB at 2 p.m. HT. We know we are going to keep the focus we have now and continue to fight for every win.
Entry No. 4
Feb. 5, 2009
Today was an awesome day for the Tigers. We started with a trip to see Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor was something that all of us were looking forward to on the trip. We all wanted to pay respect to the ones who have died serving our country so that we can be doing the thing we are doing now. We walked around the exhibit and took pictures of the different ships.
The museum had head sets that you could rent for a couple dollars that explained everything in detail. Then once our time came to go into the theatre, we watched a film that showed us real footage of what went on the day of December 7, 1941.
The film was very touching and made you realize how easy you have it. Once the video was over, we all exited and boarded a boat that took us to the USS Arizona memorial. This was by far my favorite because you could still see the ship in the water and the oil on top of the water. There also was a memorial with all the names of the people who went down with the ship. This was a great experience for all of us and we are thankful that Coach Girouard allowed us to visit there.
We got back to the hotel and began to get ready for our first game of the season. All of us were very excited to finally be able to get out on the field and play together. We earned a 10-5 victory.
The girls and I were anxious when they said play ball but we are now ready for the competitive competition to come. We are going to get focused and make sure we get things done while we are out here. We are very thankful for this trip and are definitely making many memories to keep.
Entry No. 3
Feb. 4, 2009
Today was another amazing day for the Tigers! We started the day off at 7:30 am for breakfast and got to try different Hawaiian food. The fruit was better than we have ever had.
After breakfast, we headed out for an early practice at the University of Hawai`i. The weather was gorgeous and we were ready to get down to business. We hit some batting practice and did a little defense to prepare for tomorrow’s game against UAB and the ones to come. Everyone showed up focused and we had an excellent practice.
Once we finished practice, we went back to the hotel and got cleaned up before we headed to the Polynesian Culture Center. Our bus driver, Frank, was very considerate and took us on a scenic route of
O`ahu before we reached our destination. We saw valleys, cliffs, mountains and many other different sites that were more beautiful than any of us have seen.
Our bus driver would even point out where certain movies were filmed and would give us insights on what certain things meant to their culture. When we reached the Polynesian Culture Center, many people greeted us and made us feel extremely welcomed. The different cultures made us realize how diverse we are in the United States. All of us have learned different life skills from these people. Their dance rituals are very distinct and tell you how each person contributes to the community/ culture.
Around 4:45 pm we headed to the luau. Once again the Hawaiian people were very welcoming and wanted to make us feel like we were a part of their family. It was a buffet style dinner with pig, rice, fish, salad, coconut pudding, purple sweet potatoes and many other dishes. The food was amazing and all of us are very thankful to the entire coaching staff that has made this trip special!
After the Luau, we all went to a night time show. It was an arena type event where all the different cultures performed their dances. My favorite was when a man ate fire and a group of them came out from the back twirling batons that were lit on fire. We all enjoyed watching the different ways people express themselves.
Tomorrow morning we have a trip scheduled to Pearl Harbor before our game at 4:00 p.m. HT. We have been chomping at the bit to finally get out on the field and play. This has been an amazing trip so far and we are looking forward to keeping it that way!
Geaux Tigers,
Jessica
Entry No. 2
Feb. 3, 2009
Tuesday was a very eventful day for the Tigers! We started our morning early departing from campus at 4:45 a.m. to catch our 6:15 a.m. flight to Houston. When we arrived in Houston, all of us scattered around the food court so we could eat a good meal before boarding our eight-hour flight to Honolulu.
The flight started off great, but we hit some turbulence towards the end. A couple of us are not the best flyers. My palms started to sweat profusely and Tiffany Shaw put a death grip on the seat in-front of her, hoping for some type of stability. After the turbulence was over, we all were able to rest a little easier and enjoy the rest of the ride to Hawai`i.
Once we landed, all of us called our parents to tell them that we had made it safely and that it was more beautiful than we imagined. The temperature was mid-70’s and breezy. We got our bags and boarded the bus so we could go check into our hotel. Once everyone was checked in and situated, we all met downstairs for a quick run along the beach.
The run allowed us to get rid of some of the swelling in our legs from sitting on the plane for so long. As we were running, many people were welcoming and wanted to wish us luck on everything. The people here in Hawai`i are very caring and they truly want to meet everyone that walks by them. It is a delight to be able to meet different people from different cultures. The girls and I circled up on the beach after our short run so that we could get a good stretch in. Once the stretch was over, we all were able to walk along the beach and walk into the water.
The water was a gorgeous blue and we could see so many different species of fish. When we finally reached the end of the beach, we came across a man who seemed to be fishing. He was a unique individual who wanted to show us how his culture worked. All of a sudden, he pulled out this bag full of slimy, sandy octopus. The girls and I were stunned to see that they were still alive and the way he was handling them. Many of the girls took pictures holding the octopus and just wanted to see the texture of them.
When we were about to leave, the man turned to us and said,” Hey, I like to eat these raw!” Shocked once again, we turned around to see that he had pulled off a live octopus tentacle and slurped it down like it was nothing. All of us laughed and decided that maybe he was more worthy of pictures than the octopus.
We went back to the hotel to clean up for dinner. Tiki’s Grill had amazing food and again we ran into people that were very welcoming and wanted to help us to the best of their ability. When we finished up with dinner, Coach Girouard told us that we could walk in small groups to shop a little bit before we had to be back for curfew.
We walked around the streets next to the hotel and came across some funny entertainers. One man painted his body silver and wore silver clothes so that when he blew into this machine making noise thing in his mouth, he moved like he was a robot.
My favorite was this man dressed up in gold. His face was painted yellow and he held onto this umbrella. When you put a dollar in his hat, he would sing and dance around, which mind you was not very good but, funny at the same time! Once we came back from shopping, we had a short meeting and were all ready to hit the pillow hard! The amount of traveling we have gone through today has definitely put a beating on us and we are looking forward to a good night sleep!
Tomorrow’s schedule has us practicing in the morning before heading over to the Polynesian Center for the afternoon. Check back to see what tomorrow brings.
Geaux Tigers,
Jessica
Entry No. 1
Feb. 2, 2009
The LSU softball team is more than excited for our trip to Hawai`i tomorrow morning. We have been looking forward to this all year and have been preparing to the best of our ability. We have one more practice this afternoon before we start our day pretty early tomorrow leaving campus at 4:15am for the New Orleans airport.
For some players it will be their first time flying so it should be a fun experience. We have a one-hour flight to Houston before getting on another plane for eight hours until we reach our final destination in Hawai`i. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous the entire week we are there. This is a big change from Louisiana weather when you don’t know if it’s going to be cold one day or hot the next.
The coaches are taking us to Pearl Harbor and the Polynesian Cultural Center before we play UAB on Thursday. Most of us have never been to Hawai`i and we are more than excited to be experiencing these different attractions. We also have tough competition when we get out there and are eager to step out on the field. We have prepared the best we can and can’t wait to finally just play! The competition will be a great test and we are ready for that!
Geaux Tigers,
Jessica