It’s a common saying that people usually learn from their mistakes.
The No. 18 LSU softball team did plenty of learning against Tennessee on Saturday.
Six errors by the Tigers (22-9, 8-5) in two games combined propelled the Volunteers (29-8, 6-5) to a doubleheader sweep, 2-1 and 7-4, on a windy Saturday afternoon.
“This is as bad as we’ve played all year long. You name it, we did it — but it was in the negative category,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard. “It’s got to burn in their belly. We’ll see what happens tomorrow. We’ll see how we come out.”
Things began to unravel in the second inning of the second game for LSU. Tennessee first got on the scoreboard on a controversial RBI single by freshman shortstop Ashley Andrews.
Andrews attempted a bunt down the third base line, which rolled to LSU sophomore third baseman Jessica Mouse. Mouse attempted the tag on Tennessee junior Erinn Webb, but the umpire ruled Mouse didn’t tag Webb.
After Webb scored, a wild pitch by LSU freshman pitcher Brittany Mack put Tennessee sophomore first baseman Jen Lapicki at second and Andrews at third.
Tennessee senior outfielder Lillian Hammond then reached on a fielder’s choice. Santos fielded Hammond’s ball and attempted to flip it to Mouse to tag Andrews, but the tag wasn’t in time.
Tennessee junior catcher Tiffany Huff drew a bases-loaded walk two batters later for a 2-0 Tennessee lead.
“We had a bad day,” Girouard said. “We stunk it up. And it had nothing to do with the [nearby] cow farm.”
The situation looked better for LSU in the bottom of the frame — an RBI single by freshman infielder Juliana Santos and a two-RBI hit sophomore outfielder/designated player Ashley Applegate gave LSU a 3-2 lead after three.
Girouard brought junior Kirsten Shortridge in to pitch in the fourth inning — her first appearance in the circle since LSU’s doubleheader against Alabama on March 18.
Huff fired an RBI single to right field shortly thereafter to score Andrews, tying the game again at 3.
Hammond then scored on a wild pitch by Shortridge to take a 4-3 lead the Lady Vols wouldn’t relinquish.
Shortridge struggled her entire outing, giving up four runs on four hits in three innings. Sophomore Casey Faile eventually replaced Shortridge in the top of the seventh inning.
 
GAME ONE
Junior pitcher Cody Trahan pulled LSU through six innings of play in the first game, using a combination of her defense and four strikeouts to keep Tennessee scoreless while her offense struggled.
But Trahan gave up two runs in the top of the seventh inning, and an LSU rally came up short in the bottom of the inning, giving Tennessee a 2-1 win in game one of the doubleheader.
Tennessee freshman pitcher Cat Hosfield controlled the Tiger lineup, limiting LSU to five hits in a complete-game effort.
Hosfield picked up the win in both games — she came in the second game in relief of sophomore pitcher Ashton Ward in the fifth inning.
“She looked like she was throwing harder the second time out,” Girouard said. “She controlled us … she’s going to be a good one.”
Things got particularly interesting for LSU in the top of the third inning.
The Tigers loaded the bases on a walk, a sacrifice bunt and a pair of singles. But with one out, Santos flied out to deep left field.
Then came a nightmare for Girouard — freshman Katie Guillory, who was at third base pinch running for freshman catcher Morgan Russell, took too long to get back to the bag, assuming Santos’ hit would leave the park.
The throw home made it in time, as Guillory stalled while trying to figure out if going home was a good idea.
Guillory was tagged out on the third base line.
“The base-running mistake was brutal,” Girouard said. “It got us out of a big inning.”
LSU had trouble bringing runners home in the doubleheader, leaving 18 runners on base in both games combined.
“We had some shots that on any other day would probably go of the park, but it didn’t today,” Girouard said. “Tennessee deserved to win today. We just flat stunk up the park.”
 
—-Contact Robert Stewart at [email protected]