MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — The seventh ranked LSU softball team swept a doubleheader with Coastal Carolina on Wednesday in Myrtle Beach, 12-2 in six innings and 4-0, as senior pitcher Ashley Lewis hurled her first no hitter of the season in game two.
“There were a lot of gutty performances out here today,” said head coach Yvette Girouard. “In particular, Julie Wiese and Dee Douglas had outstanding days. Sarah Meadors did an awesome job in relief to shut down the opponents. Ashley Lewis showed a ton of fortitude and heart in her performance after having some rough outings. We head to Georgia now with hopefully the same intensity we had in South Carolina.
LSU improves to 27-6 for the season as Coastal Carolina falls to 8-13.
The Tigers struck early in game one with three runs on three hits. Right fielder Trena Peel singled to third base with bases loaded to send home Dee Douglas for the first run. Julie Wiese and Ashley Lewis each drew a bases loaded walk to send home Aleshia Perry and April Janzen to put LSU up 3-0.
Stephanie Hastings doubled to center field to send home Douglas in the second. The Tigers scored a fifth run in the third when Douglas singled to send home Peel.
Coastal Carolina notched a unearned run in the bottom of the third and the fourth innings. Holly Lee singled to right field to score Kimberly Josephson. In the fourth, Sara Thompson reached first with the bases loaded error by Julie Wiese to send Lisa Anastasio.
Peel hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth to put LSU up 6-2. Wiese hit the first grand slam of her career to bring four runs across the plate in the sixth with only one out. Douglas singled to right center to send home Lewis, and catcher Jennifer Schuelke scored on a wild pitch for the last two Tiger runs.
Freshman pitcher Sarah Meadors improved her record to 2-0 for the season. Meadors relieved the starter Lewis in the fourth inning. Lewis gave up four hits, walked three and struckout four. Meadors pitched three innings total, only allowing two hits and striking out six.
LSU had 15 hits off Chanticleer pitchers Lauren Yates and Stephanie Belden. Peel hit her fourth home run of the season, and Wiese hit her sixth.
In was not until the top of the fourth in game two that the Tigers would send two runs across the plate. Wiese picked up an RBI to score Hastings and scored when Peel reached base on an error.
Lewis hit a line drive up the middle to score Peel and Janzen in the sixth inning to put LSU up 4-0.
Lewis would work the entire seven innings for her second career no-hitter. She walked three and struck out eight, while going two-for-three at the plate for two RBI. Lewis improves to 9-2 for the season.
The Tiger bats were once again productive with 11 hits in game two. Wiese went three-for-three and Hastings was three-for-four.
LSU completes its Spring Break road trip on Saturday and Sunday with a three game Southeastern Conference series in Athens versus Georgia. The LSU Sports Network will broadcast the games on 107.3 FM Baton Rouge and www.LSUsports.net. LSU returns home on Tuesday and Wednesday for a midweek SEC series with Arkansas before gearing up for a weekend series with Alabama in Baton Rouge.