BATON ROUGE – With the tying run on second base and no outs during the seventh inning, Rachele Fico slammed the door to record the final three outs in order as the No. 21 LSU softball team secured a 3-2 victory over South Carolina Friday in-front of 1,429 fans at Tiger Park.
In the process, LSU (36-15, 17-9 SEC) claimed its 10th consecutive victory and has emerged with wins in 21 of its last 24 games dating back to March 19. The Tigers also vaulted into sole possession of fourth place in the overall SEC race after Georgia and Kentucky both lost Friday.
Following the game, LSU honored Ashley Applegate, Jessica Mouse and Tiffany Shaw with a Senior Night presentation. The trio has accounted for 159 wins during their Tiger careers.
“It was about the seniors tonight. I’m glad people waited after,” head coach Yvette Girouard said. “We’ve done this now because it’s way too emotional at the beginning of the game. I thought we looked great for about three or four innings, and then I did not like the tempo of the game. All of sudden everything just slowed to a snail’s pace, and we stopped capitalizing.”
Fico opened her second save of the season with an 11-pitch strikeout of Hannah Milks. She followed with a popout and a ground ball on the infield to secure the 3-2 triumph. It was Fico’s seventh career save and ties her with former All-American Kristin Schmidt for second place in program history.
Brittany Mack went the first six frames and was touched up for two runs, one earned, on five hits. She notched six strikeouts against three walks and improved to 17-5 on the season. The junior right-hander has won 12 of her last 14 decisions going back to March 19.
“I have to be ready to go in the game at any given moment,” Fico said. “Brittany threw a great game, and that’s what I’m here for; I’m here to have her back. She’ll come in and do the same thing for me. We work very well together. We offset each other very well.”
The Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 advantage during the first inning. Simone Heyward coaxed a leadoff walk and advanced to second base on a Juliana Santos sacrifice bunt.
On the first pitch of the at-bat, Anissa Young cranked her 10th home run of the season. It’s the second straight game that Young put LSU ahead 2-0 with a first inning dinger. The long ball was the 26th of her career and tied Young with Stephanie Hill for seventh place on the program’s all-time list.
LSU added another run in the second inning after another Heyward walk. She stole second base and moved to third base on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Ashley Langoni ripped a RBI single to left field to extend the lead to 3-0.
South Carolina (26-28, 6-20 SEC) tallied a pair of single runs during the fifth and sixth innings, respectively. After a Laura Mendes RBI single in the fifth, the Tigers alertly cut down Lauren Lackey at second base for the final out of the frame.
The Gamecocks used a Lauren Houston passed ball and throwing error to set up a Dana Hathorn sacrifice fly to draw back to 3-2.
“We always look for the next play on defense, so that’s what we did,” Young said. “I know towards the end of the game we kind of fell off and got away from our [offensive] plan we had at the beginning. We’re going to come back work hard and try to execute tomorrow like we did in the first two innings.”
Game two of the series is slated for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. with live audio and live stats available in the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net. The first 1,000 fans receive a commemorative Yvette Girouard mini poster.
The contest will be carried live on ESPN 104.5 FM with Patrick Wright and Kent Lowe calling the action. The middle game of the three-game set also will be televised by CST with Lyn Rollins and Cheri Kempf serving as the announcing team. In-game updates are provided via the program’s social media pages at www.Facebook.com/lsusoftball and www.Twitter.com/LSU_Softball.
The Tiger Park Ticket Booth opens 90 minutes prior to first pitch. Fans can purchase tickets on-site starting at $5 for adult general admission. Tickets also are available online at www.LSUtix.net.
Softball Quotes – May 6, 2011
No. 21 LSU vs. South Carolina
LSU HEAD COACH YVETTE GIROUARD
On having to “sweat” this game a little bit in the late innings…
“I thought we looked great for about three or four innings, and then I did not like the tempo of the game. All of sudden everything just slowed to a snail’s pace, and we stopped capitalizing. I just saw them make a little bit more contact. I didn’t think [Brittany] Mack was as sharp as she’s been. We left the door open a couple of times. We didn’t field the ball cleanly like we should have, and they took advantage of it.”
On if Rachele Fico has something about her that helps her get through games in the late innings…
“They are so different. Mack throws so much more off-speed stuff, and Fico is usually throwing ‘BBs’, so that’s usually who you want coming out of bullpen. Like relievers in baseball, you want somebody who throws hard, so she got the job done.”
On other SEC scores helping their cause tonight…
“I’ve preached for a long time, we just worry about the Tigers. We don’t worry about a lot of other things. We have our own issues where we have to hold on like a cat’s claws hanging on a tree limb. We just worry about the Tigers.”
On if she took some time to appreciate the moment prior to the game…
“It was about the seniors tonight. I’m glad people waited after. We’ve done this now because it’s way too emotional at the beginning of the game, but it’s pretty cool to have your name on the berm. I texted our grounds crew who did it and said I never wanted my name in lights, but my name on the berm is priceless.”
LSU FIRST BASEMAN ANISSA YOUNG
On her home run…
“I knew I’m not going to get much to hit so when I see something fat I have to take my hacks. I got the barrel on it and made solid contact.”
On if she felt this game was going to be a rout after the first two innings…
“We wanted to come in and try to score as many runs as we could. I know towards the end of the game we kind of fell off and got away from our plan we had at the beginning. We’re going to come back tomorrow, work hard and try to execute just like we did in the first two innings.”
On if South Carolina pitcher April Borchardt threw them off…
“I think her wind up kind of threw us off a little bit. That’s no excuse, but we definitely need to make adjustments sooner in the box. Hopefully, tomorrow we can make those adjustments and be successful.”
On the two big defensive plays when South Carolina scored…
“We always look for the next play on defense, so that’s what we did. [Ashley] Langoni came out and made a great catch. That’s why she’s in there. As far as the other play goes, it was just a situation where you have to find the next play and get the out.”
On if she was getting nervous after the leadoff double in the seventh…
“I have all the confidence in the world in the pitching staff. I knew Rachele was going to come in and get the job done. She worked hard that last inning, and Brittany Mack threw an amazing game. They kind of caught up to that change-up. That’s the game of softball, and it’s like that sometimes.”
On winning for head coach Yvette Girouard…
“She’s an amazing coach. We work hard out there everyday for her, and we just want to give her these two last wins at home, so she ride off into the sunset.”
LSU PITCHER RACHELE FICO
On coming out of the bullpen…
“I just always have to stay ready. Whenever Brittany’s starting a game, more often than not I’m in the bullpen. I have to be ready to go in the game at any given moment. Brittany threw a great game, and that’s what I’m here for; I’m here to have her back. She’ll come in and do the same thing for me. We work very well together. We offset each other very well.”
On what Brittany Mack told her before she went into the game…
“We just talk about the strike zone and what’s working, what’s not. It’s little things like that, and any little tip we can give each other that helps. We constantly communicate throughout the game after every inning, so we are always on the same page as to what’s working, who hit what, what’s getting called and all that good stuff.”
On other SEC scores helping LSU tonight…
“I did hear some of the scores. I don’t know if I caught the final ones, but anything can happen in the SEC. It just goes to show you that anyone can beat anyone on any given day.”