Box Score
BATON ROUGE — Jen Schuelke doubled off the wall to start the 13th and pinch runner Jennie Reeves scored on a sacrifice fly by Stephanie Hastings to take a 1-0 victory in the nightcap of the NCAA Regional at Baton Rouge Saturday.
LSU (59-12) advanced to the championship game at 4 p.m. against then winner of Southern Miss and Oregon.
Ashley Lewis, who pitched the first 6 1/3 innings of the game, returned to the game in the bottom of the 12th to get the final out before getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the 13th to win the game and improve to 22-5 on the season.
Courtney Blades struckout 21 in 12 2/3 innings pitched, yet received only her sixth loss of the season against 48 victories.
Schuelke hit a towering shot to center that looked to be a home run, however, it bounced off the wall and turned out to be a double. Schuelke was pinch run for by Jennie Reeves before a sacrifice bunt advanced Reeves to third with one out.
Dee Douglas then reached on an infield single. The next batter, Hastings, hit a shot deep to left, scoring Reeves for the first run of the game.
After LSU’s heroics in the top of the 13th, Jennifer Ford got a one-out single in the bottom of the 13th and pinch runner Melanie McMains advanced to second on a wild pitch. Peter and Gant walked to load the bases with one out.
On a 3-2 count, Dalenah Tanner struckout swingings to bring a pinch hitter to the plate: Blades.
Blades fouled off two pitches on a 1-2 count before striking out with the bases loaded to end the game.
Game summary:
The Tigers put two aboard in the third on a passed ball after a strikeout and a single by Dee Douglas, but were unable to score.
The Lady Eagles did the same thing in the bottom of the fifth, as Amy Berman singled and Jennifer Collins walked before Chrystal Stevens hit sharply to second. Second baseman Stephanie Hastings couldn’t make the play at first, but turned toward third and caught Berman off of the base for the third out.
Southern Miss opened the bottom of the seventh with an infield single by catcher Kenya Peters. The next batter, Channika Gant then bunted down the first base line and reached base when Shante Fremin’s throw to first sailed high and hit Gant in the back. With the ball loose, pinch runner Kendra Seals went through third base coach Lu Harris’ stop sign and was thrown out at home by Hastings.
With a single by Shante’ Fremin in the top of the 10th and a sacrifice bunt by Schuelke, LSU had a runner on second with two outs and Newton at the plate. However, the center fielder grounded out to second to end the inning.
LSU’s Ashlee Ducote walked, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Blades. With a 2-2 count, Lewis struckout for the fifth time in a row to end the inning. It was Blades’ 20th strikeout.
In the bottom of the 12th, Southern Miss had two aboard with two outs and Stevens at the plate. Stevens hit a drive to the gap in right center field that looked to end the game, however, Newton came out of nowhere to make the grab and send the game to the 13th.