ATHENS, Ga. — The No. 7 LSU Tiger softball team swept the Georgia Bulldogs in a double header with scores of 6-2 and 7-0 in Athens on Saturday.
“With the SEC getting stronger every year, anytime we can take three of four on a weekend I am pleased with our play,” said head coach Glenn Moore. “The girls came out and played well after the loss. We are going to continue with a goal to win in mind.”
Georgia began scoring first in the second inning when designated hitter Jenn Bell drew a walk to get on base. First baseman Lisa Schutt then singled to right field where Trena Peel missed the catch, allowing a run to score and Schutt to make it to third. Schutt later scored when third baseman Lindsay Philips made it to first on an error by shortstop Tara Asbill, putting the Bulldogs up 2-0.
The Tigers answered back in the top of the third when Peel walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by designated hitter Aubrune Ziober. Lead-off hitter Dee Douglas then singled to put runners on the corners and easily stole second. Asbill picked up her first hit of the day to send home Peel and Douglas and tie the score at 2-2.
LSU took the lead in the top of the fifth when center fielder Stacey Newton singled to center field to pick up two RBI sending home Asbill and third baseman Ashlee Ducote. The Tigers now had a two run advantage with the score at 4-2.
Tiger pitcher Ashley Lewis picked up her 15th win for the season, which ties her with former Tiger pitcher Sarah KnifeChief for the most career wins for LSU. Lewis allowed only two hits, retired eight batters at the plate and only walked one.
LSU had nine hits off Bulldog pitcher Natalie Price. Price only had four strikeouts and walked three.
In game two, the Tigers took the lead early when Douglas was hit by a pitch and made it to second on a ground out. She then stole third and the catcher Sabrina Pimentel threw to third with no one covering the base, allowing Douglas to score.
Ducote doubled to right center for her first hit of the day and scored when first baseman Shaunte’ Fremin tripled to right field. The Tigers now led the Bulldogs 2-0.
The floodgates opened for LSU in the fifth, started by catcher Jennifer Schuelke, who singled to left field to start the inning. Pinch runner Taryn Perry scored when Newton doubled to left field. Douglas beat the throw on a bunt to put runners on the corners, and she quickly stole second for the Tigers. Stephanie Hastings got the RBI single to send home Newton. Douglas took advantage of a bad throw by catcher Sabrina Pimentel that went into left field to score another run for LSU. Asbill then matched her home run count of 1999 with her 10th home run of the season that also sent Hastings across the plate. So the Tigers had five runs on five hits in the fifth inning to make the score 7-0.
The Tiger bats combined for 10 hits off pitchers Raquel Castillo and Cynthia Polk. Ducote and Newton each had a double, Fremin had a triple and Asbill hit a home run.
Britni Sneed pitched five innings for LSU, picking up her 18th win of the season and matching Lewis and KnifeChief’s 41 career wins. She struck out four batters and only allowed one hit. Senior Julie Stashko relieved Sneed in the seventh and only allowed one hit and struck out two.
The Tigers are now 42-8 for the season and 16-2 in the SEC. LSU will return home on Thursday night to face Southwest Texas State at 6 p.m. at Tiger Park.