The No. 1 LSU softball team and No. 6 Oklahoma were in the middle of their warmups Saturday when the sky opened up just minutes before first pitch.
It started as a drizzle, but in the distance past right field, an ominous wall of rain headed straight for Tiger Park. The field crew and coaches scurried to get the tarp and managed to get the infield covered just before the downpour began.
The players sought shelter in their respective dugouts, while fans took different approaches to avoid the inclement weather.
When the rain started to fall, some took cover under any structure with a roof they could find. Others stayed put and got soaked. A few even displayed how prepared they were, donning ponchos or — in the case of one man — setting up a tent on the berm in left field.
They may have tackled the nasty weather differently, but when the rain stopped, the tarp was lifted and the game started, they had one thing in common: They all waited out the weather to push their team to victory.
“The fans have truly been unreal,” said LSU coach Beth Torina. “They’re making this place the toughest place to play in the country. I can’t say enough about them sitting through the rain and fighting it out today. They definitely help us, give us momentum, really change the ball game, and we’re lucky to have them.”
On Saturday evening, 2,176 fans entered Tiger Park, where LSU holds a perfect 23-0 record, to watch the Tigers (30-1, 5-1 SEC) and the Sooners (25-5) battle. After the rain delay, almost every seat was full. People stood on the concourses and the berm was packed. They brought energy and noise and were treated to a 10-2 LSU victory.
“That’s one of the reasons why I came to LSU — the fanbase here is amazing,” said sophomore infielder Sahvanna Jaquish. “They stuck it out through the rain and they’re really, really loud, and they really changed the game for us this week.”
Saturday wasn’t the only game the fans influenced. On Friday, 2,082 people saw LSU edge the Sooners in a 1-0 pitchers’ duel.
Coming into the weekend, Oklahoma led the nation in batting average, but freshman pitcher Carley Hoover was able to shut the Sooner lineup down.
At the top of the seventh, LSU was clinging to a 1-0 lead. Hoover had already thrown six innings, but she seemed to be throwing harder in the final frame than she was in the first as she worked to clinch the win for her team.
Hoover said she was able to feed off the fans for a little extra power during the game’s closing moments.
“The fans juiced me a little bit,” Hoover said. “I was just a little excited, too. When I get more amped, I throw a little harder, and that’s not always a good thing. But tonight it worked.”
It isn’t just the Tigers who are affected by a raucous crowd. Fans bolster the home team, but they can also be a nightmare for opponents.
Jaquish said Oklahoma’s senior infielder Lauren Chamberlain, who is four home runs away from tying the NCAA Division I career home run record, dubbed Tiger Park “the hardest stadium to play in by far this year.”
“Shout out to the Tiger fans for doing that for us,” Jaquish said.
You can reach Jack Woods on Twitter @Jack_TDR.