BATON ROUGE — Two of the top 10 softball teams in the nation will face off in a three-game series at Tiger Park as fifth-ranked LSU hosts seventh-ranked Georgia in a three-game Southeastern Conference series this weekend, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday.
The first pitch of the day is scheduled for 2 p.m., with the second game to follow 20 minutes following the conclusion of game one. The Tigers will also be holding their annual “Pack the Park” promotion. Fans will have the chance to compete in games like “Bank One Bungee for Bucks” and the “Coke Karaoke Competition” for the chance to win Aerosmith concert tickets and other great prizes like CD and DVD players. The first 100 fans can also have their cars washed during the game.
The doubleheader can be heard live on the LSU Sports Network locally on Jam’n 197.3 FM or on the internet at LSUsports.net. Live statistics are also available on the website at LSUsports.net.
“This should be a tremendous series,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “The weather should be beautiful so it will be a great time for our fans to come out and experience what outstanding college softball and in particular SEC softball is all about.”
The match-up will pair two of the league’s best hitting teams, as Georgia (26-5, 5-1 SEC) leads the SEC in team batting average, followed closely by the Tigers. The Bulldogs hit .362 as a team this season and lead the conference in runs scored, runs batted in and doubles. LSU (26-5, 6-2 SEC) has posted a .340 team batting average this season, while leading the league in slugging percentage, hits and home runs.
In their first meeting this season on Feb. 28, however, the game proved to be a pitching duel that was settled in extra innings. The Tigers trailed 2-1 going into the seventh inning. After tying the game in the seventh, LSU put up three runs in the top of the eighth to take the 5-2 win during the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga.
“These three games should be battles to the end,” said Girouard. “The first time we met, they took an early lead on us and we fought back. We trailed going into the seventh and would just not give up. We refused to die.
“We will have to have that mentality throughout the weekend if we are going to be successful because Georgia is a great team,” Girouard continued. “They are great hitting team and will to score some runs on us, but we cannot get frustrated or let down our guard. We have to battle for every pitch, for every at bat, for every inning, all weekend long.”
Sophomore Lauren Delahoussaye was the hero for LSU in the first meeting, knocking a solo home run in the fifth inning that tied the game at one, before reaching on a leadoff double in the seventh and eventually scoring the game-tying run.
For the season, sophomore Stephanie Hill currently leads the Tigers with a .391 batting average, including seven home runs and 26 RBIs. Freshman Leslie Klein leads the SEC with eight home runs and has a team-best 31 RBIs.
Freshman Emily Turner earned the complete-game win for LSU in the circle against the Bulldogs. Despite allowing nine hits and seven walks, she pitched her way out of three bases loaded situations, holding Georgia to two runs, one on a solo home run and over four runs below its season average.
For the season, Turner leads the team with a 1.56 earned run average. Senior All-American Kristin Schmidt leads the team with a 15-3 record, while recording a team-best 138 strikeouts with a 1.61 ERA.
Junior Kim Wendland leads the Bulldogs and the SEC with a .505 batting average. The first baseman also leads the league with 49 RBIs and 13 doubles. Senior Nicole Barber has posted a .480 average for Georgia this season with a team-best 38 runs scored and 33 stolen bases.
Junior Michelle Green is the ace of the Bulldog pitching staff. She sports a 13-2 record with a 1.16 ERA. In 16 appearances, she has thrown seven complete-game shutouts and three combined shutouts. In addition, she has recorded 170 strikeouts in 96.1 innings of work.
Since LSU reinstated softball in 1997, the Tigers are 18-2 all-time against Georgia, including a 6-0 record at home. Until last season, the Bulldogs had never posted a win over LSU. Georgia took two out of three in Athens last year, one of only four SEC series the Tigers have lost in eight seasons.
The series will conclude with a single game on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Cox Sports Television, Baton Rouge cable channel 37. The LSU Sports Network will also carry the radio broadcast of the game on Jam’n 107.3 FM and on the internet at LSUsports.net.