LSU put on a show in the second game of the double-header for the largest regular season crowd in Tiger Park history Saturday. In front of 1,371 fans the No. 8 Tigers beat the No. 2 University of Alabama 5-4 in extra innings. LSU won again 3-0 on Sunday to win the series after the Crimson Tide won the first game 6-0 on Saturday. “We had a great day today,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard. “Our defense looked great in the field but our pitchers did a great job of getting strikes when we needed them.” The two teams were tied at 0-0 in game one until Alabama scored scored six runs in the sixth and seventh innings to win the game. Senior pitcher Emily Turner gave up eight hits and four runs in the first six innings before junior Tiffany Garcia replaced her at the mound. In game two LSU led the Crimson Tide 2-0 going into the seventh inning before Crimson Tide sophomores Ashley Holcombe and Kelley Montalvo hit back-to-back home runs to send the game to extra innings. LSU won the game in the eighth inning when junior short stop Andrea Smith hit a double to send junior second baseman Vanessa Soto home for the game-winning run. “Andrea Smith had an unbelievable weekend,” Girouard said. “Her parents came all the way in from California for this series. I think I’m going to ask them to take up a permanent residence here.” Game three was a defensive struggle as the Crimson Tide stranded 12 runners on base to score no runs against the Tigers. LSU stranded 10 runners on base as well. “We feel like a defensive game is our kind of game,” Soto said. “We’re very confident in our defense, and our pitching really looked good this weekend. Emily [Turner] really intimidated their hitters, and a lot of the balls they hit grounded out or just popped up to one of us.” Senior center fielder Leslie Klein drove in junior outfielder Dee Dee Henderson to break a 0-0 tie in the third inning Sunday. Soto sparked two more LSU runs in the fourth and sixth innings. Soto doubled in the fourth and stole third base before a Smith single drove her home. Soto was then hit by a pitch in the sixth to get her on base again. Soto had words with Alabama junior pitcher Chrissy Owens as Erika Sluss pinch ran for her and scored on an RBI by freshman left fielder Jazzmine Jackson. “Whenever we play Alabama it’s an emotional game,” Soto said. “There’s no bad blood or anything you know. We’re just two teams that really want to win. It’s not like I was going to charge the mound or anything.” Alabama was within striking distance down 3-0 in the seventh inning before junior third baseman Tayl’r Hollis caught two fly balls to help the Tigers slam the door on Alabama. “I just wasn’t going to miss those balls,” Hollis said. “When I see a ball go up like that the only thing I can think of is to get under it. Our defense has really been strong for us this year because we have a lot of good athletes, and we have a lot of camaraderie [among] each other.”
—–Contact Will Dunn at [email protected]