Lady'Backs drop two to No. 6 LSU

FAYETTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas softball team dropped a Southeastern Conference doubleheader to the sixth-ranked LSU Tigers Saturday at Lady’Back Yard. Arkansas (20-37, 5-16 SEC) lost 5-0 and 7-0, and produced just four hits on the day. LSU (45-6, 18-3 SEC) tallied 33 hits which was an LSU record for an SEC doubleheader. “Last year we cost LSU the Western Division title and I told the team all week they were going to come after us and they did today,” said head coach Jamie Pinkerton. “I thought that we could have played better. We pitched in and out of jams all day long and when we had a chance to get out of a jam our defense let us down.” After just two errors in the last nine games, the Lady Razorbacks committed six errors in the doubleheader. In game one, LSU jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Dee Dee Henderson led off the ball game with a blooper to left field and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt. Leslie Klein bunted for a single and moved Henderson to third before Killian Roessner singled through the right side to score Henderson. In the third inning, LSU added two runs as Henderson hit a lead-off single into center field followed by an RBI triple to left center by Rachel Mitchell. Mitchell then scored on an infield ground out by Klein to give the Tigers the 3-0 lead. LSU tallied 10 hits after just three innings of play. The Tigers added to their lead in the top of the seventh, plating two more runs for a 5-0 score. Tayl’r Hollis singled to left field and Roessner singled in the infield before Stein drove in Hollis with a single through the left side and Jazz Jackson singled, scoring Roessner. Katy Henry started in the circle for the Lady’Backs, throwing two and one-third innings before she was relieved by freshman Miranda Dixon. Henry gave up three runs on nine hits and struck out two. In relief, Dixon pitched four and two-thirds innings and allowed two runs on nine hits and struck out one. LSU pitcher Dani Hofer earned her 20th win and 10th shutout of the season, allowing just four hits and striking out five. Sophomore Whitney Cloer was 2-for-3 in game one. Senior Rachel LeMaster and Dixon also collected hits. In game two, LSU took a 1-0 lead in the second inning behind a lead-off double by Roessner and an RBI single by Jackson. The Tigers took a 6-0 lead in the fifth inning scoring five runs behind four hits and four Lady’Back errors. LSU went up 7-0 in the seventh. Henderson singled and stole second before Mitchell scored Henderson on another single up the middle. Emily Turner recorded her first no-hitter on the mound with a complete-game shutout for LSU. She fanned seven and walked three. Dixon picked up the loss allowing six runs on 11 hits and striking out three. “Hofer and Turner pitched a heck of a ball game,” said Pinkerton. “We have players that got too deep in the count and then Turner started spinning it – changing speeds and throwing curveballs – and that’s how she gets her success.” The Lady’Backs return to Lady’Back Yard Sunday, playing the final game of the SEC series at 1 p.m. For more information about Arkansas softball, please log on to LADYBACKS.COM.