LSU lost the final collegiate softball game in Tiger Park Sunday, failing to punch its ticket to an NCAA Super Regional date in Houston.
For the second consecutive day, the Tigers fell to UL-Lafayette. This time, the Ragin’ Cajuns eliminated LSU, 6-3, and ended the Tigers’ quest for their first Women’s College World Series appearance since 2004.
“You’re going to make mistakes, you’re not going to make good pitches and you’re not going to always win,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard. “You want your kids to compete, and that is exactly what we did. Our kids played hard. We just didn’t win.”
LSU pitcher Dani Hofer took the loss in her second start of the regional. The junior pitched in three games this weekend after missing nearly a month with an inflamed right wrist.
“I’m especially proud of Dani because she really just gutted it out and tried to control their hitters,” Girouard said.
The Safety Harbor, Fla., native allowed four runs — three unearned — in five innings. She struggled to hit the strike zone for most of her time in the circle, walking nine batters on the day.
Things looked to be going LSU’s way early as the Tigers got on the board in the bottom of the first inning.
After UL-Lafayette retired the first two Tiger batters of the inning, LSU sophomore center fielder Rachel Mitchell kept the inning alive.
Mitchell drove the ball into right field for a double on what initially appeared to be a spectacular diving grab by Ragin’ Cajun senior right fielder Holly Tankersley.
LSU senior right fielder Quinlan Duhon then walked, and senior catcher Killian Roessner drove Mitchell home with her own double on another hit nearly robbed by a UL-Lafayette outfielder.
The Ragin’ Cajuns returned the favor in the top of the second inning, scoring a run on an infield RBI-single by freshman left fielder Katie Smith.
Duhon ended the UL-Lafayette half of the inning with a diving catch in right field with two Ragin’ Cajuns on base.
The score remained knotted at 1 until the top of the fourth inning when UL-Lafayette made Hofer and the Tigers pay for three straight walks to start the inning.
With the heart of the order coming up, Hofer appeared to have gotten her first out of the inning when UL-Lafayette senior shortstop Vanessa Soto, who played her first three seasons at LSU, grounded the ball to LSU senior shortstop Tayl’r Hollis.
But Hollis bobbled the ball, allowing Soto to reach first base safely and a run to cross the plate to give UL-Lafayette a 2-1 lead.
Things began turning back in LSU’s direction following the error as Hofer struck Tankersley out in the next at-bat.
UL-Lafayette sophomore third baseman Melissa Verde followed with a fly ball to left field chased down by a diving Hollis, but the Ragin’ Cajuns failed to capitalize on a potential sacrifice fly opportunity as Smith did not tag up on third base.
In the following at-bat, Hofer reached an 0-2 count against UL-Lafayette sophomore catcher Lana Bowers before Bowers managed to drive the ball into right field for a two-RBI single to put the Ragin’ Cajuns ahead, 4-1.
Hofer would walk the next batter — her fourth walk of the inning — to load the bases before inducing an inning-ending pop up.
The score would remain 4-1 until the sixth inning.
LSU sophomore pitcher Cody Trahan came on in relief of Hofer in the top of the sixth after Hofer’s ninth walk put two runners on base with no outs.
Trahan would start quickly, picking up a strike out against her first batter and loading the bases before eventually pitching out of trouble with a ground out and a strike out.
The Tigers’ momentum did not seem to carry over into the bottom of the inning, as Mitchell and Duhon each grounded out in LSU’s first two at-bats.
But then the Tigers began a scoring threat, as Roessner reached first base on an error by UL-Lafayette senior shortstop Brooke Brodhead.
Hollis drove Roessner home with a double to center field in her next at-bat, closing the gap to 4-2, and senior first baseman Erika Sluss drove Hollis home with a hit to left field.
“We were just really focusing on laying off [UL-Lafayette freshman pitcher Donna Bourgeois’] drop balls,” Hollis said. “We just made adjustments.”
After a walk and an illegal pitch, LSU freshman left fielder Ashley Applegate grounded out with runners on second and third base to end the inning.
UL-Lafayette stretched the lead to 6-3 on a two-RBI double by Soto, and LSU could not answer in the bottom of the inning.
UL-Lafayette will now advance to a super regional matchup on the road against Houston.
LSU, which will move to a new Tiger Park for the 2009 season, will be forced to start life in the new park with a young team with several fresh faces.
The Tigers will lose seven seniors from their 15-player roster, including six of the top-seven batters in Sunday’s lineup.
“I guess you never really imagine your last game,” Hollis said. “It’s just disappointing to lose, but like coach Girouard mentioned, we fought as hard as we possibly could. And whatever happened … was meant to happen, and you can’t keep beating yourself up over it.”
Hofer will be the only upperclassman from this season’s team to return for the first season in the new park.
—-Contact Jerit Roser at [email protected]