Tigers topple Cuse for third-straight tourney triumph

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Mitchell named tournament MVP

Tiger Rag News Services

The No. 16 LSU softball team used a six-run third inning coupled with 4.1 innings of spotless relief from Cody Trahan to dismantle Syracuse 9-2 in the championship game of the Purple & Gold Challenge Sunday at Tiger Park.

LSU (18-4) notched its 13th consecutive victory in addition to a third straight home tournament championship. The Tigers were fueled offensively by Courtney Hollier, who turned in a 2-for-4 performance with a career-best three RBIs. Morgan Russell and Jessica Mouse also combined for a perfect 5-for-5 effort and two RBIs apiece from the bottom of the lineup.

LSU swiped a season-best eight stolen bases highlighted by two steals from Kirsten Shortridge and Ashley Langoni.

“I challenged the team a couple weeks ago and told them we were boring to watch. We needed to win the crowd,” head coach Yvette Girouard said. “I told them we were fun to watch after the game today. We were stealing bases and have had absolutely fantastic defense. Ashley [Langoni] will run into any wall and sacrifice her body to catch any fly ball. We’re pitching well and throwing people out. This is the most fit team we’ve had in a long time and it shows on the base paths.

The Tigers manufactured a pair of runs in the second inning after Langoni drew a leadoff walk before advancing to third base on two steals. LSU made the most of three infield singles along with a Russell sacrifice fly to grab a 2-0 advantage.

Syracuse (6-9) collected two runs to even the score at 2-2 in the third inning as Kelly Saco and Lacey Kohl picked up RBIs via a bases loaded walk and hit batter, respectively. With two outs and the bases loaded still loaded, Girouard turned to Trahan out of the bullpen.

Trahan stopped the Orange momentum and got Meghan Boston to fly out to left field on a 1-1 offering to get out of the jam.

“It’s a little different with relief. You have to come in with a different mentality,” Trahan said. “It’s something I haven’t done that much here lately. It was good to have that opportunity today, especially with the SEC because we need to be ready for any position.”

LSU fired back in the home half of the frame ignited by an Anissa Young one-out walk. A Langoni double moved pinch runner Tiffany Shaw to third base. Hollier platted both runs with a single to left field. Two batters later, Hollier came around to score on Russell RBI-single to make it 5-2.

Mouse put the game out of reach with a two-run homer, her first of the season, off the left field foul pole. After a SU pitching change, Shortridge was issued a four-pitch walk. She stole second and used alert baserunning to score on a wild pitch to go along with an Orange error to cap the six-run frame.

Hollier tacked on a RBI-double in the fourth inning, while Trahan sat down all 13 batters she faced to close out the 9-2 win. She improved to 5-0 on the season and was joined by Hollier, Mitchell, Shortridge and Rachele Fico on the All-Tournament Team. Mitchell claimed Tournament MVP accolades after racking up seven RBIs

“A good time for Cody to be in a groove going into SEC play next weekend,” Trahan said. “We don’t really know who our No. 1 pitcher is, but boy we have a lot of options. It was good to see her come in, and she slammed the door on Syracuse.”

“It’s really important to make sure we stay on top of our game. Winning is always good for our confidence,” Mitchell said. “It was good that we could come out, get our hacks in and do what we do best. I normally do start off pretty slowly until we start off SEC, but were only one weekend away. I’m not jumping the gun too quickly.

LSU wraps up its 18-game homestand with a mid-week tilt against Nicholls. Wednesday’s first pitch is slated for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcasted live on ESPN Radio 104.5 and 104.9 FM in the Baton Rouge area with Patrick Wright set to call all of the action.

Purple & Gold Challenge All-Tournament Team
Lisaira Daniels - Syracuse
Rachele Fico - LSU
Sarah Forgacs - Campbell
Courtney Hollier - LSU
Rachel Mitchell - LSU (MVP)
Beth Pilgrim - South Alabama
Kirsten Shortridge - LSU
Cody Trahan - LSU
Stephanie Watts - Syracuse

POSTGAME QUOTES

Coach Yvette Girouard

On Cody’s relief performance
“A good time for Cody to be in a groove going into SEC play next weekend. We don’t really know who our No. 1 pitcher is, but boy we have a lot of options. It was good to see her come in, and she slammed the door on Syracuse.

On depth of pitching staff
“We do have a lot of options, and Shortridge hasn’t really pitched the last couple of weeks. She kind of tweaked her ankle, so we gave her the weekend off from pitching. We want to know what we’ve got before we get to South Carolina on the weekend. We’ve got a lot of options. If somebody is in trouble, we can go to someone else.

On Rachel Mitchell’s offensive weekend
She did [find the barrel of her bat] and I hope she’s OK. She pulled a hamstring, so that’s why we pulled her in that last game. But she looked like the old Rachel Mitchell, and wow, do we ever need her to get hot in our lineup.”

On the team’s hot streak
“I challenged the team a couple weeks ago and told them we were boring to watch. We needed to win the crowd. I told them we were fun to watch after the game today. We were stealing bases and have had absolutely fantastic defense. Ashley [Langoni] will run into any wall and sacrifice her body to catch any fly ball. We’re pitching well and throwing people out. This is the most fit team we’ve had in a long time and it shows on the base paths.

On Courtney Hollier
“She has been an unbelievable practice player since she’s been here. It something that just didn’t correlate to game day experiences for her last year. It’s finally clicked and I think she’s playing with a ton of confidence this season. She’s playing absolute flawless defense and hitting the ball with power. I’m so happy for her and continue to say she’s one of those people that God should grant good things to happen to them.”

On Nicholls Wednesday
“You want to go into [SEC play] feeling really confident and good about yourself. I think this team is. I know Nicholls has picked up a few players and should be an improved squad. In the same regard, we might rest some people. If Rachel Mitchell is tweaked, there is no way she’s playing. Shortridge might take the night off. We’re going to evaluate and do what’s best for the team in the long run. We’ve just got to play the way we’ve been playing and continue what we’ve been doing.

OF Rachel Mitchell

On the tournament win
“It’s really important to make sure we stay on top of our game. Winning is always good for our confidence. It was good that we could come out, get our hacks in and do what we do best. I normally do start off pretty slowly until we start off SEC, but were only one weekend away. I’m not jumping the gun too quickly.

On the offense producing when the pitchers are pitching so well
“We have an amazing pitching staff. They’re always there to pick us up and keep us in the games. When you up there to bat, you’re a lot more relaxed and at ease knowing that even if you don’t get it done this time the pitching staff is always there behind you to keep you in the game.”

On swinging at only strikes
“I think we did a lot better today. We still need to work on seeing them pretty well, but were really aggressive. That’s what is important to us. Even if we hit the balls and put them in play, we make things happen.

P Cody Trahan

On keeping the winning streak alive
“We’re going into the SEC next weekend and needed a confidence boost. We need to keep our adrenaline running and everything flowing together. This weekend, we did a great job of that.

On the ease of pitching with such great offensive production
“It’s amazing. There is so much pressure off us already having more pitchers this year. But when we are like we are right now, as pitchers we just go out there and throw. If we make a mistake, our team is behind us and they’re going to pick us up. That’s what they did today.

On her relief performance
“It’s a little different with relief. You have to come in with a different mentality. It’s something I haven’t done that much here lately. It was good to have that opportunity today, especially with the SEC because we need to be ready for any position.”

On the tough spot she came into today
“You don’t really have time to work into the game. You have to be ready right away. So when it comes to the bullpen, you work a little bit more. Mentally, you have to be ready. You have to be confident and know each pitch is going to be a strike without trying to guide the ball.