At practice just more than a week ago, LSU softball coach Yvette Girouard said she expected her pitching staff to step up because her star pitcher, junior Dani Hofer, is sidelined for at least a week with an inflamed right wrist.
“They were brought here to pitch, so pitch,” Girouard said.
The staff has responded accordingly – most recently in the form of senior pitcher Tiffany Garcia’s complete-game shutout of Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday.
Garcia’s one-hitter, the Tigers’ fourth shutout in five games, led No. 15 LSU (39-14, 15-10) past Southeastern Louisiana (27-23, 14-15 Southland Conference), by a 5-0 final.
“Tiffany Garcia giving us the complete game is really important for us,” Girouard said in a news release. “It gave [sophomore pitcher] Cody Trahan some rest since she had to throw three times last weekend.”
Trahan, who started Saturday and Sunday against Arkansas, pitched 14 scoreless innings against the Razorbacks to account for two of the Tigers’ four recent shutouts.
Garcia’s win brought the LaPorte, Texas, native’s record to 3-2 this season.
Another LaPorte native and Garcia’s high school teammate, sophomore outfielder Rachel Mitchell, led the Tigers’ offense to provide much of Garcia’s run support.
Mitchell put the Tigers on the board in the top of the third inning by driving in fellow sophomore outfielder Jazz Jackson on a sacrifice fly.
Senior first baseman Erika Sluss gave the Tigers some extra breathing room an inning later when she advanced from first to third on an infield ground out by senior shortstop Tayl’r Hollis. Sluss eventually scored on a wild pitch.
The next inning, Mitchell drove senior designated player Dee Dee Henderson home on an RBI single to extend LSU’s lead to 3-0 and stretch her hitting streak to seven games.
“Rachel Mitchell is still on a fire,” Girouard said. “We have her in there to swing, and usually when she swings, good things happen.”
Senior outfielder Quinlan Duhon followed by driving Mitchell home on an RBI double to stretch the lead to 4-0 and extend her own hitting streak to six games.
Third baseman Jessica Mouse put the icing on the Tigers’ cake with a sixth inning solo home run, the freshman’s fourth of the season.
“I saw some good things tonight, but what I like about the team right now is that other people are starting to step up,” Girouard said. “Jess Mouse is starting to hit the ball right now, and if we ever get her bat going, she can be an All-American.”
LSU will close out the regular season this weekend at South Carolina after playing the team’s final regular season games in Tiger Park this past weekend.
The series with the Gamecocks will help determine positioning in the Southeastern Conference tournament, which begins next Thursday in Tiger Park.
—-Contact Jerit Roser at [email protected]