The No. 14 LSU softball team (3-2) could not overcome errors and a little “Miss Fortune” in their 7-2 eliminating loss to Illinois (3-2) Sunday in the Tiger Classic.
Illinois pitcher Amanda Fortune stifled LSU batters all afternoon, allowing only two runs on five hits in a complete game effort.
“I think we were done in before we walked on the field,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard. “I don’t think we were prepared mentally as a team to play softball today. I think they felt sorry for themselves because it was cold and they were tired and they forgot that everybody else was cold and tired too.”
The Fighting Illini jumped on the board first in the top of the fourth with a four-run inning, highlighted by a three-run home run to right field by Erin Jones.
“Well I got my first taste of college ball, getting that home run hit off of me,” LSU freshman pitcher Emily Turner said. “I’ve got to learn that it is not high school anymore. I am not going to be able to blow it by people my freshman year like I am used to doing.”
Turner (2-1) received the loss for the Tigers, giving up four runs and seven hits in four complete innings of work.
Girouard said Turner did not perform as she would have liked.
“She is a much better pitcher than she showed and her mental game is going to have to improve, which I think it will,” Girouard said.
LSU first baseman Leslie Klein responded quickly in the Tigers half of the fourth with a lead-off home run to right, her second of the weekend.
Shortstop Lauren Delahoussaye provided a spark with two down in the inning, banging a double off the center field wall. Stephanie Hill followed with a pop fly that was dropped by Illinois center fielder LeeAnn Butcher, allowing Delahoussaye to score.
LSU would not threaten again as Fortune (2-1) did not allow a runner to reach scoring position in the final three innings.
Illinois added three more runs in the top of the seventh to take the game 7-2.
The Tigers cruised into the Illinois matchup Sunday with a No. 2 seeding and a 3-1 record in the tournament.
On Friday, LSU defeated Centenary 9-0 and Illinois 7-3 behind outstanding pitching performances from Turner and senior Kristin Schmidt.
Turner worked five innings, allowing only two hits while striking out seven against Centenary while Schmidt pitched a complete game six hitter versus Illinois.
Offensively, LaDonia Hughes went 5-for-8 with a triple, a home run and four RBIs in Friday’s games.
On Saturday, LSU dropped its first game against No. 4 Oklahoma 6-4 and won 11-3 against Southeastern Louisiana in the nightcap.
Girouard said her team just did not produce defensively.
“Offensively, I was very pleased, but defensively it was like a kick in the stomach because I thought we would be more along than that,” Girouard said. “I thought we would have more passion and pride to play defense.”
In their five games over the weekend LSU committed seven errors.