LSU Softball: Bears Rally Late

ncaa.com

The LSU Lady Tigers (39-24) suffered a heart breaking loss to the number one seeded Lady Cal Berkeley Bears (57-6) on Thursday in Oklahoma City. It was a game that went down to the wire with the Lady Tigers leading all the way up until the sixth inning.

The Tigers scored early and late but it was not enough to overcome the Bears. It was the bottom of the fifth inning when the Cal Bears tied the game 2-2.

LSU’s starting pitcher Rachele Fico was pitching fantastic for five and one third innings, she gave up two earned runs on only five hits with six strikeouts and four walks.

However, the Tigers defense had two errors and for a team that does not score many runs and relies on their pitching to win games the two earned runs cost the ladies their first game of the 2012 Women’s College World Series. “The only thing I was disappointed in was our defense. I think our defense has gotten us here and has been the thing that’s kept us in it this long.” Coach Torina added after the loss.

The Lady Tigers showed a lot of fight in the game scoring early and then tried to rally late but the runs scored by the Cal Bears in the bottom of the sixth proved to be too much. “It’s always disappointing to come in here and lose the first game, but I definitely think that our team showed a lot of effort and heart and pride. We proved a lot of people wrong with our hitting, and we did a great job with our offense” said LSU’s senior catcher Morgan Russell.

You can watch LSU take on the #19 University of South Florida on Saturday June 2^nd at 12 ET. on ESPN2 or ESPN3.com the winner will play that night against the winner of the Cal Bears and the Oklahoma Sooners at 7pm ET.