No. 2 Huskies Suffer First Lost of Year to No. 7 LSU, 4-2

Friday, February 18

Austin, Texas

1:00 PM

University of Washington

7-1

LSU

6-0

LSU

Washington

No. 2 Huskies Suffer First Lost of Year to No. 7 LSU, 4-2

February 18, 2000 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Washington Athletics

Feb. 18, 2000

LSU Box Score

South Florida Box Score

AUSTIN, Texas - The No. 7 Louisiana State softball team ended UW's streak of nine consecutive wins on Friday at the Texas Invitational, using two home runs to jump out to a quick lead and thwarting a Husky comeback to win, 4-2. Washington then bounced back to run-rule South Florida, 10-0, in five innings on the first day of the tournament. UW is 10-1 and will face host Texas tomorrow at noon CT before the semifinals tomorrow evening.

LSU's Tara Asbill homered in the top of the first, and the Tigers put another runner across the plate in the second off a hit and an error before redshirt freshman Jenny Topping answered with a solo shot of her own in the bottom of the second. Louisiana State came back with two more in the third off a single and another long ball before the Huskies shut down the Tiger offense. It proved to be too late, however.

Senior Melissa Downs walked, and pinch runner Jessica Bork went to second on a sacrifice by senior Jennifer Spediacci and third during senior Jamie Graves' at-bat. A single by senior Erin Helgeland brought Bork home to make it 4-2. Washington loaded the bases in the sixth frame off a single by junior Kelly Hauxhurst, an error and another Downs walk, but the Huskies could not sustain the rally. Spediacci (4-1) struck out five in the complete-game loss.

Washington came back strong in the second game of the day against the Bulls, with junior Kim DePaul and Topping's three hits each leading the Huskies to a season-high 15 hits to score 10 runs in five innings. Senior Jamie Graves (6-0) struck out three in three innings to get the win before sophomore Bridget Wilcox relieved her in the fourth.

UW had 11 plate appearances in the first inning, scoring six runs off seven hits and one error. Hauxhurst and DePaul singled before the first of Topping's three doubles of the game brought both home, with the help of an error. Graves then singled Topping home and moved to second on sophomore Shannon Walsh's single to right field. Junior Christie Rosenblad doubled to centerfield to help Graves round the bases before Helgeland reached first on a walk. Senior Rosie Leutzinger hit her first of two doubles to score Walsh and Rosenblad to put UW up, 6-0.

After a quiet second frame, three more Huskies crossed home plate in the third, all with two outs. Leutzinger doubled and came home when a Hauxhurst grounder went between the legs of USF's second baseman, helping Hauxhurst to third. DePaul singled Hauxhurst home and scored herself off a Topping double.

Washington made several substitutions in the bottom of the fourth, putting Bridget Wilcox on the mound, Amy Hanson at second, Traci Tawney in left, Bork in center and Becky Simpson in right. In the top of the fifth, Simpson and Tawney led off with singles and Topping hit another double before the Bulls retired Washington.

Feb. 18, 2000
No. 7 Louisiana State 4, No. 2 Washington 2
Louisiana State 112 000 0 4 5 1
Washington 010 010 0 2 4 1
Julie Stashko, Ashley Lewis (1), Britni Sneed (6) and Jennifer Schuelke, Jennifer Spediacci and Jenny Topping. WP-Lewis (3-0). LP-Spediacci (4-1). Sv-Sneed. LOB: LSU 5, UW 5. HR: LSU-Asbill, Ducote, UW-Topping.

No. 2 Washington 10, South Florida 0
Washington 603 01 10 15 1
South Florida 000 00 0 2 2
Jamie Graves, Bridget Wilcox (4) and Jeanine Giordano, Jessi Kowal, Jaimie Anderson (1) and Priscilla Smith. WP-Graves (6-0). LP-Kowal 2-5. LOB: UW 8, USF 3. 2B-UW: Leutzinger (2), Topping (3), Rosenblad.