May 4, 2008
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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Tiger starter Cody Trahan tossed a two-hitter, handing No. 15/16 LSU a 9-0 win in six innings over South Carolina on Sunday afternoon at Beckham Field. The win secured the third seed in the Southeastern Conference Tournament for the Tigers and moved their record to 41-15 overall and 17-11 in league play, while the Gamecocks fall to 21-26, 8-18 in SEC action.
LSU chased Carolina starter Krystle Robinson after just one out. She retired the leadoff hitter before giving up back-to-back singles to Shannon Stein and Rachel Mitchell. The duo both advanced into scoring position on Robinson’s error and scored on Quinlan Duhon’s single to center. The Gamecocks turned to Melissa Hendon, who allowed an RBI double to Killian Roessner before inducing a ground out and a fly out to get out of the inning.
The Tigers struck again in the third, as a one-out walk ended up costing Hendon when Tayl’r Hollis singled Duhon home. The fifth saw the Purple and Gold tack on three more, all charged to Hendon. Mitchell doubled to start the frame and scored when Duhon yanked a homer over the left-field wall. Hendon gave up a single to Roessner before yielding to senior Kate Pouliot. After a strikeout, pinch runner Tiffany Shaw stole second, allowing her to score on Hollis’ single.
The game ended after six when LSU scored two. Dee Dee Henderson got hit by a pitch and stole second. Pouliot got Stein to strike out before Mitchell laced a double into right center, scoring Henderson. Duhon hit one off Pouliot to reach safely. Roessner then double to the gap in right, scoring Mitchell. Senior Chrissy Schoonmaker made a nice relay to the plate to catch Duhon.
The Gamecocks had two chances to score in the contest. The tying run came to the plate with one out in the first after back-to-back walks to sophomore Lindsay Walker and freshman Laura Mendes. But Trahan got a strikeout and a pop out to escape the inning. In the fifth, junior Ashton Payne, who went 2-for-3 in the contest, tripled to center with two down. Trahan once again got out of the inning with a foulout.
Robinson (8-7) got the loss, giving up three earned runs on three hits while striking out one. Trahan walked three and struck out four in the shutout.
The Gamecocks end the season shy of the SEC Tournament for just the second time in program history.
