ATHENS, Ga. — The seventh-ranked LSU softball team used productive bats led by freshman Julie Wiese and superb pitching to sweep a double header with Georgia on Saturday afternoon in Athens, 8-0 in five innings and 5-1.
“This was obviously a record setting day for Julie today,” said head coach Yvette Girouard. “She will be a fun one to watch for three more years as she
is just a freshman. Ashley pitched a magnificent game. She had a perfect game going into the last inning and I felt she was in total control. Britni also did an outstanding job. We had a lot of players step up and produce today. April Janzen had a good day and Jennifer Schuelke showed a gutsy performance with the base hit to get us started in game two. I think that we played nine spectacular innings, and now we have to bring that into tomorrow.”
LSU improves to 29-6 on for the season and 9-2 in the Southeastern Conference. Georgia moves to 20-21 for the season and 2-13 in the SEC. The final game of the series between the two will be played at noon on Sunday. The game will be carried by the LSU Sports Network on 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge and over the internet at www.LSUsports.net.
The Tigers jumped on Georgia pitcher Kendra Daniels as Stephanie Hastings doubled to right field to send home Aleshia Perry for the first run of game one. Wiese hit back-to-back home runs in the first and second innings to account for five runs in the Tigers’ 8-0 five inning win.
Trena Peel stole home in the first inning, and Christy Connor singled up the middle in the fourth inning to send home Hastings for the remaining Tiger runs.
Senior pitcher Ashley Lewis hurled a one-hitter as she struck out three and walked one in five innings. Lewis pitched her fifth shutout of the season.
Daniels lasted one and two-third innings for the Bulldogs. She allowed four hits, seven runs, walked two and struck out one. Kaili Howard pitched three innings in relief with three hits, one run, three walks and two strikeouts.
The Tiger bats combined for seven hits with Hastings and Wiese each going 2-for-2. Wiese becomes the fifth Tiger to hit two home runs in a single game. The last was former-Tiger Ashlee Ducote against South Carolina in 2000.
Georgia took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Nicole Barber singled with two outs to send home Michelle Tyree.
The Tigers tied the game in the top of the fifth with one run on two hits. Catcher Jennifer Schuelke singled to the shortstop to put pinch runner Jill Crawford on base. Hastings singled up the middle with two outs to send Crawford across the plate.
Peel singled to right field to reach base in the top of the six and advanced to second on a throwing error by the right fielder Melanie Robertson. That set the scene for April Janzen who singled up the middle to send home Peel for the game-winning run. Schuelke added and insurance run for LSU when she picked up an RBI with a single to send home Janzen.
Wiese hit her third home run of the double header in the top of the seventh to score Hastings and bring the score to 5-1.
Britni Sneed improved to 17-4 for the season as she went seven innings for the Tigers. She allowed two hits and one run while striking out nine.
The Tigers had nine hits off Georgia pitcher Nichole Urban, who allowed five runs, walked two and struck out three. Wiese hit her ninth home run of the season in the game. In the four games this week, Wiese is 8-for-10 with four home runs and 12 RBI.
LSU will return home for an SEC series versus Arkansas with a doubleheader on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and a single game on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The Tigers will host Alabama the following weekend on April 7 and 8.