Top-ranked competition leaves Tigers behind
   LSU softball wanted to send a clear, concise message to the NCAA softball world that it should be considered among the game’s elite.
However, facing off against the No. 5 Bears from California and the No. 2 UCLA Bruins did not manage to provide fruitful results for the No. 4 Tigers.
The 3-0 and 7-0 losses to Cal and UCLA, respectively, were the only two losses of the UNLV Invitational, but failed to send the message to the NCAA’s dominant teams in the Pac-10 Conference.
Head coach Yvette Girouard said considering the opposition the team faced, the losses are not a reason for the team to hang its head. In fact, Girouard said UCLA has been so dominant this year that the Bruin squad should be the new No. 1 when more recent polls come out.
“I don’t think anybody’s happy about the outcome,” Girouard said. “I think we’re playing better. California has an unbelievably good team. We were a swing away from being back in the game. UCLA is run-ruling everybody. Are we capable of beating those teams? Yes.”
The trip was not all disappointing for the Tigers. LSU was able to overcome a 2-0 deficit against No. 12 Nebraska and score an important 4-2 on the strength of a three-run, fifth-inning home run by first baseman Christy Connor.
LSU also scored a 5-0 win over Texas Tech and a 6-1 win over UC-Riverside
Girouard said the Nebraska win was a big win for the team. She said the win brought the team closer together and gave the group confidence.
“It was a nice win,” Girouard said. “It makes a team, when you battle through adversity. That’s where you build team chemistry and toughness.”
An objective for the tournament was to get the bats going. Though Girouard said the hitting is still slow coming around, she was happy with the tournament Connor had.
The junior Connor was nine-for-14 at the plate with nine RBIs and two home runs.
“She’s seeing the ball very well,” Girouard said. “She’s our best pure hitter. She had a great weekend; hopefully our other hitters will catch fire.”
LSU combined to get eight hits against some of the best pitchers in the country in Cal’s Jocelyn Forest and UCLA’s Amanda Freed. Girouard said the team is not panicking at the plate.
“We are still waiting for [the bats] to ignite,” Girouard said. “I think they are starting to come around. We aren’t losing any confidence because we know they’ll come around.”
Another worry Girouard has is the start of All American pitcher Britni Sneed. Sneed, who gave up five runs against DePaul in the Tiger Classic and was chased before completing the second inning, gave up two runs to Nebraska and against UCLA gave up seven runs and 12 hits.
Girouard said Sneed is not happy with her start. She said there are a few kinks that Sneed needs to work out to get her back to her accustomed domination.
“It’s a little mechanical [problem],” Girouard said. “She’s been a slow starter in her career. She’s one of the best ones [in the college game]. We’ll work through this.”
Chris Gibson