BATON ROUGE — The eighth ranked LSU Tigers pounded out 18 hits off Nicholls State to sweep the double header with the Lady Colonels Tuesday at Tiger Park. The Tigers (11-1) won game one 9-0 in five innings and took game two 8-1.
“Once again a great offensive performance,” said head coach Yvette Giroard. “The key tonight was our team speed. We stole bases and attacked from many different areas in our pitching, hitting and speed. We may have one of the fastest teams in the nation.”
In game one, Aleshia Perry picked up the first two runs for the Tigers scoring in the first inning on a wild pitch and making it home in the second inning on a single by Stephanie Hastings. Trena Peel picked up an RBI with a triple to left field that sent Hastings across the plate. Peel also scored on the play on an error by the shortstop.
The Tigers exploded in the fifth inning with three runs when Hastings singled with bases loaded sending home Perry, Dee Douglas and Jill Crawford. Freshman Julie Wiese followed Hastings with a two-run home run to put the Tigers up 9-0.
LSU pitcher Britni Sneed picked up her sixth win for the Tigers, only allowing two hits in five innings of work. She struck out 11 Colonel batters with no walks.
The Tiger batters had 10 hits off Colonel pitcher Duffi Matherne. Wiese hit her third homer of the season , and Peel was two-for-two at the plate with her second triple of the year.
In the top of the second in game two, Nicholls State pulled out ahead of the Tigers 1-0 when Matherne scored on an error by third baseman Julie Wiese.
LSU pulled ahead of the Colonels in the bottom of the third bringing the score to 2-1. Jennie Reeves singled to get on base and scored on a single by Dee Douglas. Douglas later scored on a wild pitch by Matherne.
The Tigers added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth when Hastings scored an unearned run on a single by Peel. Christy Connor grounded out to second base for the second out of the inning allowing April Janzen to score a fourth run for LSU.
LSU scored a pair of runs in the fifth inning on two wild pitches by Matherne that scored Crawford and Auburne Ziober.
Designated hitter Erin Johnson tripled to right field to pick up an RBI when Sara Fitzgerald scored from first base. Catcher Jennifer Schuelke singled to left field to score Johnson.
Ashley Lewis pitched a one-hitter for the Tigers in seven innings of work with six strikeouts. The LSU bats had eight hits with Johnson hitting her third triple of the season.
LSU travels to Columbus, Ga., for the NFCA Leadoff Classic this weekend before returning home to host the Purple and Gold Challenge March 2-4 at Tiger Park.