No. 2 Florida spoiled LSU’s “Cochon de Gator” Wednesday night as the Gators roasted the LSU softball team in both games of a doubleheader at Tiger Park.
The No. 21 Tigers (15-7, 0-2) opened the Southeastern Conference schedule by dropping the first game, 8-1, as Florida (21-0, 2-0) completed the sweep with a 5-0 defeat in the second game.
“It was a disappointing outing for us all the way around,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard. “Obviously, there was not enough good pitching, and not any kind of hitting to speak of. We don’t have a short game, and we don’t get on base very often.”
The LSU offense failed to find a spark as the Tigers combined for only four hits in the two contests. Freshman outfielder Simone Heyward opened the second game with a leadoff single, but Florida senior pitcher Stephanie Brombacher shut down LSU en route to a one-hitter.
“We’re not making very good adjustments from at-bat to at-bat,” Girouard said. “Whereas they really do.”
The Tigers suffered their 11th straight regular season defeat at the hands of the Gators. Florida handed LSU its first conference loss in 2010 as well.
Junior pitcher Brittany Mack said the difference between the teams starts at the plate.
“I believe we can beat them without a doubt,” Mack said. “We just didn’t focus so much on our at-bats the last few years. We come up and make the same mistakes. They go through the lineup once and fix it.”
Florida hitters teed off on LSU pitchers, combining for 22 hits and five home runs. Four of those homers came in the seventh inning of the first game as sophomore Rachele Fico and freshman Meghan Patterson each surrendered a pair of long balls.
Fico’s six earned runs in that game matched a career-high set last season against Florida.
“They’re just a good hitting team,” Mack said. “Out of all those hits, only two I might have missed my spots. I was hitting my corners, and they’re just doing what hitters do and hitting the ball.”
Senior designated player Tiffany Shaw recorded the only RBI for LSU with a run-scoring single in the fifth inning of the first game. The hit brought the Tigers within one run of Florida before an onslaught of six runs in the final two frames made Florida’s lead insurmountable.
LSU fell behind in game two when Mack surrendered four runs in the fourth. The Tigers’ offense continued to sputter as no LSU player recorded an extra-base hit.
“We just have to forget this game,” Mack said. “We just have to come back thinking we’re the better team and do our best and try to come together as a team.” LSU continues SEC action Friday with a weekend series at No. 1 Georgia. Georgia boasts a pair of pitchers in Alison Owen and Morgan Montemayor. The duo has a combined 13 wins on the season and has allowed only 11 earned runs in 73 1/3 innings of work.
 
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