May 8, 2011
by Koby Padgett
Assistant Media Relations Director
BATON ROUGE, La. – On the final day of Yvette Girouard’s regular-season career as head coach at LSU, the No. 21/23 Tigers (38-15, 19-9 SEC) captured an 8-0 win in five innings over South Carolina (26-30, 6-22 SEC) on Sunday afternoon at Tiger Park.
The Gamecocks pitched well in the first and second innings, giving up one hit and facing one over the minimum, but the Tigers awoke in the third. A single, a walk and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases for Anissa Young, who hit a grounder to third that the Gamecocks could not convert into an out, scoring Jacee Blades. Ashley Langoni followed with a shot through the left side, scoring two more Tiger runners. An error made it 4-0 as Young scored from third on the play. After a grounder back to Gamecock reliever April Borchardt gave Carolina two outs, Morgan Russell posted a two-RBI single up the middle. Borchardt induced an infield fly to end the inning.
The Tigers wrapped things in the fifth, as Lauren Houston doubled home pinch runner Alex Boulet after she stole two bases during Houston’s at bat. After a walk, Blades hit a grounder to third that the Gamecocks threw away, allowing pinch runner Katie Guillory to score from second to end the contest at 8-0.
South Carolina left runners aboard in the first, second and fifth, with the best chance to score coming in the final frame. A bunt single by junior Lauren Lackey followed by a passed ball on a strikeout by junior Evan Childs put runners on the corners with no one out. A stolen base by Childs gave the Gamecocks two runners in scoring position, but LSU starter Brittany Mack got two groundouts around a strikeout to end the frame.
Mack (18-5) gave up two hits and a walk while striking out four in the complete-game shutout. Gamecock junior Kierstyn White (2-3) took the loss, giving up five runs, four earned, on three hits and two walks.
Langoni and Russell both had two RBI and a hit, two of six Tigers to post a hit in the contest. Freshman Chelsea Hawkins and Lackey had singles for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina concludes the 2011 season with a 15-game improvement in the win column, including six times the wins in SEC play compared to a year ago.
