The slump continues.
The No. 25 LSU softball team’s recent losing streak inflated to six games Wednesday, as the toothless Tigers (15-11) were blanked, 7-0, by Southern Miss.
“Nothing’s going on right now,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard. “We’re a team that’s lost in the desert.”
The loss comes on the heels of LSU’s first-ever 0-5 start in Southeastern Conference play, a stat that can be attributed to the Tigers’ opening conference opponents — No. 2 Florida and No. 1 Georgia.
This latest setback is a bit more perplexing, as the Golden Eagles (9-13) were losers of eight straight before the game.
“It looks like we’ve lost all confidence after that week,” Girouard said. “We can’t manage a hit with a runner in scoring position.”
That wasn’t a problem Southern Miss experienced, as the Golden Eagles’ batters made LSU pay every single time they reached the bases. Southern Miss managed all seven runs on just seven hits.
The bulk of the damage came in a five-run inning that saw the Golden Eagles knock in five runs on three hits to turn a 2-0 game into a 7-0 runaway.
USM junior left fielder Michelle Takeda dominated the Tigers’ pitching, as she went 2-for-3 from the plate with two RBIs and a walk.
The Tigers’ pitching didn’t fare much better against the rest of the USM lineup, as LSU’s staff continued its recent dip in performance.
Freshman Meghan Patterson (5-1) picked up her first loss in a 3 2/3 inning effort. Patterson allowed three runs on five hits, giving her a 6.56 ERA on the night. That said, she still managed to record nine of her 11 outs via strikeout.
“She was off. She was high in the zone,” Girouard said. “She had a problem giving up hits with two outs, and she gave up a crucial home run.”
That homer came from USM freshman third baseman Brittany Lilly, who opened up the Golden Eagles’ 2-0 lead in the second with a solo shot to left field. Lilly was the second USM batter with a multi-RBI game, as she also knocked two RBIs on a 1-for-3 night from the plate.
Junior Brittany Mack pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief, surrendering four runs on two hits before being replaced by Patterson in the fifth. Mack allowed both of her hits and one run during USM’s five-run fifth, when she was replaced by Patterson.
The Tigers’ lineup couldn’t manage much against USM sophomore Beth Dietrich (5-6), who went the distance and allowed just four hits in a complete game win.
“It’s a horrible excuse, but it seems like the offense just falls apart when the pitching isn’t strong,” Girouard said.
With No. 24 Kentucky coming to Baton Rouge this weekend, Girouard said the Tigers face the problem of needing the lineup to carry team while the pitchers regroup.
“It obviously hasn’t,” she said. “We have to start hitting the ball better. We have to start scoring runs.”
 
 
 
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