April 27
April 23, 2007April 25
April 25, 2007
The LSU baseball team got a great pitching performance from junior right-hander Jared Bradford on Sunday in Starkville, Miss., to take the series from the No. 15 Bulldogs with a 3-1 victory.
Bradford (7-2) allowed one run and six hits in 7.1 innings to get the win.
With the victory, LSU improved to 23-18-1 overall and 8-9-1 in the Southeastern Conference. MSU fell to 25-10 overall and 10-8 in the SEC. The Tigers are now fourth in the SEC West, just 4.5 games out of first place.
LSU fell 13-2 on Friday, but posted a 6-5 win on Saturday setting up the rubber game of the series. In the final game with the score tied 1-1, the Tigers got a two-run double from Nicholas Pontiff, who also had three runs batted in on Saturday.
Paul Bertuccini earned his third save of the season by getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth with a ground out to shortstop.
On Saturday, Michael Hollander was able to get the Tigers their first road win of the week with a two-out run-scoring double in the top of the ninth to break a 5-5 tie at Dudy Noble Field. Hollander and Jason Lewis each had three hits in the game, while Pontiff added two hits. T.J. Forrest got the win after three innings of middle relief and allowed only one hit. Bradford got the save after one inning of scoreless relief.
Earlier in the week, the Tigers fell to UNO in the annual Wally Pontiff Classic at Zephyr Field in New Orleans. In the game against UNO, the Tigers allowed three runs in the final two innings, but tied the game on a home run by Blake Dean in the eighth inning, but UNO posted a run on its final at-bat for the win. Five LSU pitchers each allowed a run in the contest.
The Tigers begin a four-game homestand on Wednesday when they play host to Southern in Alex Box Stadium at 6:30 p.m. This weekend, LSU welcomes Tennessee to town with games on Friday (7 p.m.), Saturday (3 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.).
SOFTBALL TEAM SWEEPS ARKANSAS
The Lady Tigers posted a 3-1 victory in Fayetteville, Arkansas to sweep the series on Sunday. LSU (46-6 overall and 19-3 in the SEC) swept a doubleheader on Saturday, 5-0 and 7-0.
In the final game of the series, the Lady Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first two innings. Tayl’r Hollis, who ended her 16-game hitting streak, did manage the only RBI in the contest. On the mound, Dani Hofer improved to 21-1 overall after allowing five hits, one run in five innings. Emily Turner got her first save of the season after two innings of hitless relief. On Saturday, Turner recorded her first no-hitter of the season in the second game of the doubleheader. Offensively, LSU set a record with 33 hits in the two games. In the first game of the doubleheader, Hofer allowed four hits in the complete-game victory as Killian Roessner had four hits and Dee Dee Henderson, Hollis and Jazz Jackson each had three hits.
In the second game on Saturday, Turner struck out seven and walked one. She retired the final 12 batters of the game. LSU, which notched a five-run fifth, was led by Rachel Mitchell (three hits, including a home run, two RBIs), Roessner (three hits) and Jackson (two hits, two RBIs).
On Tuesday, the Lady Tigers blasted Southern, 11-1, in a game called after five innings due to the mercy rule. No. 6 LSU belted four home runs in the contest. Leslie Klein had two of the homers, while Hollis and Quinlan Duhon each had a home run. The Lady Tigers belted out 14 hits and were led by Jackson’s three safeties. On the mound, Turner started the game and allowed two hits in the first three innings before Tiffany Garcia come on ad allowed three hits and a run in the final two innings.
LSU will travel to Hammond on Wednesday to play Southeastern Louisiana at 6:30 p.m. Over the weekend, the Lady Tigers will play host to Tennessee in a clash of SEC titans. Both teams are in first place of their respective divisions. The Lady Vols have won their last 25 games are 50-2 overall and 20-2 in the SEC. The Saturday doubleheader, which starts at 3 p.m., will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2. Sunday’s 1 p.m. contest will also be nationally televised on ESPN2.
