TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The bats came alive as LSU pounded out seven runs on 12 hits and Britni Sneed shutout the Crimson Tide and the fifth-ranked Tiger softball team came away with a 7-0 win over No. 15 Alabama Sunday afternoon at the Alabama Softball Complex.
With the win, the Tigers (32-8, 17-3 SEC) remain atop the SEC Western Division standings and run their league series-winning streak to 16. The Crimson Tide fall to 33-13 overall and 14-4 in the SEC.
“We knew we had to win this game,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We wanted to leave here ahead in the SEC standings and had to win this game to do that. With the game we lost because of the rainout at Tennessee, we know we have to stay one step ahead of Alabama in order to win the SEC.”
The top three in the LSU lineup combined to go 6-for-16 with four RBIs and two runs scored in the game. Christy Connor led the way, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Trena Peel and April Janzen also went 2-for-4 with a double each and knocked in a run and scored a run.
All-American Britni Sneed recorded her 13th shutout of the season with the complete-game victory, running her record to 18-5 on the year and 12-1 in the SEC. She struck out eight while allowing six hits.
“This was probably our best game of the year,” said Girouard. “Our hitting was there in our long game and our short game. We made some great defensive plays and as always our pitching was excellent.
“Britni has become a competitor for us over the last two years with her leadership on the field. She want the ball and accepts the challenge.”
After taking four innings to get their first hit against Shelly Laird on Saturday, it took only three batters to get a hit against Laird on Sunday.
With two outs, Connor singled to right field before Erin Johnson singled up the middle to give LSU two base hits in the first inning.
Alabama’s start on Sunday was nearly identical to the start of the first game on Saturday. With two outs, Jackie McClain doubled to left centerfield, but was stranded as Sneed struck out Lacy Prejean to end the inning.
The Crimson Tide threatened again in the bottom of the second inning. Ashley Courtney led off the inning with a single up the middle and was sacrificed to second base. Sneed then struck out Capper Reed for the second out. With Leah White at the plate, Jennie Reeves gunned Courtney down trying to steal third for the final out of the inning.
LSU got their first run of the weekend against Laird in the top of the third inning. Aleshia Perry and Peel led off with back-to-back singles to left field. As Perry and Peel attempted the double steal, Prejean, the Alabama catcher, threw the ball into left field trying to catch Perry at third and Perry scored and Peel advanced to third.
Janzen then bunted on and reached second as Alabama tried to keep Peel at third. With runners at second and third and no outs, the Tigers could not push across another run. Connor popped up to the second baseman for the first out. Johnson hit a fly ball to right field, but the ball was not deep enough to score Peel from third before Steege fouled out to the third baseman to end the inning.
Alabama added a pair of hits in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Back-to-back single to start the inning by Jackie Wilkins and McClain put runners on first and second with no outs. After Deasy Phillips came in to pinch run for McClain, Prejean sacrificed Wilkins and Phillips to second and third. Sneed then came on to strike out Courtney and Angela Johnson to preserve the 1-0 LSU lead.
Peel led off the top of the fifth for the Tigers with a double to deep centerfield that bounced off the outfield fence and was about a foot from leaving the park for a home run. Janzen then drew a five-pitch walk to put runners on first and second with no outs.
Connor then nailed a double to left centerfield that scored both Peel and Janzen and gave the Tigers the 3-0 lead. After Johnson struck out, Wiese hit a blooper over the back of third base down the left field line that dropped in and rolled away from the line for a double. Fitzgerald came around to score on the play and extend the lead to 4-0.
LSU led off the top of the sixth inning with a base hit to left field by Leigh Ann Danos, pinch hitting for Reeves. Perry then reached and advanced to second as Reeves, who returned to run for Danos, advanced to third on an error by the Tide third baseman on a sacrifice bunt attempt.
Peel then hit a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield that scored Reeves and advanced Perry to third. A double and an error by the Tide centerfielder put Janzen on third and scored Perry 6-0 Tiger lead.
Connor hit a fly ball to right field, but it was not deep enough to score Janzen from third before Johnson popped out to the first baseman to end the inning.
LSU added another run in the top of the seventh as Alabama committed three errors. With one out, Wiese singled up the middle. Lindsey Howard, pinch hitting for Blair Smith, reached on an error by the second baseman.
Reeves then singled down the left field line and advanced to second on an error by the left fielder. Wiese came around to score on the single and Howard reached third on the error.
With runners on second and third, Jennifer Wright came in to pitch for Laird. Perry then reached on an error by the pitcher, but neither runner could advance. Peel then reached on a fielder’s choice, but Howard was thrown out at home before Janzen grounded out to the shortstop to end the inning.
The Tide went down in order in the bottom of the seventh as Sneed struck out Emily Currie to end the game.
The Tigers now return home to face Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. before hosting No. 17 Louisiana-Lafayette on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Tiger Park.