LSU softball season ends

The 10th-seeded LSU softball team saw their season come to an end with a 7-4 loss to seventh-seeded Arizona State in the NCAA Super Regionals on Saturday afternoon at Farrington Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

Despite making it to the Super Regionals for the second-straight season, the Lady Tigers (55-12) were unable to advance to the Women’s College World Series.

The game marked the final career outings for three seniors n Kristen Hobbs, Emily Turner and Leslie Klein.

Coming back from surgery last year, Hobbs had her best season as a senior. In her final collegiate game, she hit her eighth home run of the year. Turner, a 2006 All-American, came on in relief in her final career game and threw the final six and two-thirds innings but did not earn a decision. A two-time All-American, Klein closes out her outstanding career as the LSU record holder for single season and career home runs and single season and career doubles among many records she holds.

Hofer started and took the loss for LSU to fall to 24-3 on the season. She allowed four runs on a grand slam, with three hits, two walks and strikeout in a third of an inning. Turner came on in relief and gave up only two hits with three runs, only one of which was earned, while walking four and striking out nine.

Adding three home runs in the game, the Tigers came up two homers shy of the LSU single season record with 58. Rachel Mitchell hit her fourth in the last four games, while Quinlan Duhon recorded her third in the last five games.

Hobbs also closed out her career with a home run in her last game.

The Lady Tigers fell 1-0 in 10 innings to ASU in the first of the best-of-three series on Friday night. On Saturday, LSU fell behind 4-0 and never could recover despite getting the lead down to a single run in the second inning.

TRACK AND FIELD TEAMS DEFEND THEIR CROWN

The LSU track and field teams took the next step in their journey toward Sacramento and the NCAA Championships on Friday by successfully defending their regional crowns at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships at Walton Stadium in Columbia, Missouri.

The top-ranked Lady Tigers captured their fourth regional title in the five years of the meet’s existence after blowing away the competition with 112 points for the weekend, while the No. 2-ranked Tigers successfully defended their crown after scoring a total of 70 points at the meet.

The Tigers and Lady Tigers proved to be untouchable at this year’s regional championship meet after combining for 21 automatic bids to the national meet on the final day of the competition and a total of 24 in all.

FALCON HAS DEEP RUN IN SINGLES TOURNAMENT

Megan Falcon had her season come to an end Sunday afternoon as she fell to sixth-seeded Lindsey Nelson of USC, 7-6 (2), 6-2, in the semifinals of NCAA Singles Tournament at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

The loss was only the third for Falcon this season as she finishes her first year of college tennis with an unprecedented 38-3 record. Falcon owned a 28-match win streak heading into the match.

The loss doesn’t take away from Falcon’s outstanding debut as a Lady Tiger. Falcon was the first Lady Tiger in team history to reach the NCAA semifinals. The ITA All-American went undefeated during the regular season at the No. 1 slot on her way to being named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year.

Her No. 2 ranking in singles is the highest in team history. Falcon was selected as the ITA Co-National Player to Watch. In the fall she won the ITA All-American Consolation title.

Photo by STEVE FRANZ • LSU * Senior Leslie Klein finished her career as the single season and career record holder for home runs for the Lady Tigers.