BATON ROUGE — The LSU softball team collected 12 runs on 13 hits to defeat the Nicholls State Lady Colonels on Wednesday night at Tiger Park, 12-0, in five innings.
Britni Sneed, Kristin Schmidt (4-1) and Sarah Meadors combined for the two-hit shutout, as the Tigers rebounded from two-straight losses to Top-5 schools to improve to 9-3 on the season.
Nicholls State fell to 2-5, while starting pitcher Nichole Wagner was charged with the loss after throwing 1 2/3 innings and giving up six runs on six hits and walking one.
Senior center fielder Trena Peel, freshman shortstop Blair Smith and senior left fielder Aleshia Perry each had two hits on the evening, while head coach Yvette Girouard used 17 players in the game.
“We have faced some pitching that wasn’t as good as it was tonight and didn’t hit like we did tonight,” said Girouard. “We know we can hit the ball. We’ll face better pitching this upcoming weekend, but tonight helps put some confidence back in our step.”
Peel scored three runs and had an RBI and freshman cleanup hitter Tessa Lynam hit her first home run as a Tiger to drive in two runs. Senior first baseman Christy Connor, LSU’s leading hitter through 12 games, was 1-for-2 with a two-run single in the second inning.
Schmidt entered in relief of fellow All-American Sneed to start the third inning to pick up the victory for the Tigers. Sneed pitched two innings and gave up only one hit while striking out two. Schmidt pitched the third and fourth and also gave up only one hit.
The two combined to face the minimum number of Lady Colonels, as Sneed erased a check-swing hit with a double play and Schmidt eliminated a base hit with a solid assisted putout from right fielder Megann Steege after the ball rolled through her legs.
LSU scored a run in the first after Peel tripled to start the game and came home on an infield single by second baseman April Janzen.
The Tigers then poured on five runs in the bottom of the second to drive Wagner from the game. Smith singled and catcher Jennie Reeves reached on an error that allowed Smith to score all the way from first. After Perry walked, Peel singled up the middle to start the marry-go-round. However, Reeves was called out between second and third for runner’s interference.
Connor then knocked in both Perry and Peel before Lynam homered down the right field line for a 6-0 lead.
“Connor is seeing the ball like a beach ball right now. She is one of the best hitters I have ever coached,” said Girouard. “She started the year slowly, but she has come on like gangbusters lately.
“Tessa is going to be an incredible player for us. She is a pure hitter and sooner or later she is going to be ripping balls to get out of this funk she is in right now.”
Nicholls State’s Fallon Cancienne came in to get the final out of the second inning.
LSU used a six-hit, six-run bottom of the fourth to eight-run rule the Lady Colonels. Pinch hitter Jessica Braggins earned her first hit of the young season and Lynam reached on a fielder’s choice to put runners on first and second with no outs. Steege singled in Braggins from second and advanced Lyman to third. Smith and catcher Leigh Ann Danos both collected one- and two-RBI singles, respectively, before Peel drove in Danos on a fielder’s choice.
Pinch hitter Sara Fitzgerald doubled to left and moved Peel to third. Peel scored LSU’s final run on a wild pitch by Cancienne.
Meadors came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and struck out one batter.
LSU returns to action this weekend when the Tigers travel to the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga. LSU opens the tournament against New Mexico at 4 p.m. CST on Friday.