LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Tigers scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to defeat Southeastern Conference rival Kentucky, 4-2, and complete the three-game sweep.
The Tigers improve to 40-8 overall and 20-3 in SEC play and have now won eight straight games. Kentucky falls to 21-26 overall and 3-15 in league play.
“It is always good to come away with the sweep, especially on the road in the SEC,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “Once again, we had trouble putting runs on the board and that almost came back to haunt us in the end, but we got the runs in the eighth and go back to Baton Rouge with the wins.”
Sneed earned the complete-game victory, giving up two runs, one earned, on three hits with no walks. Adding 15 strikeouts to her total, she surpassed the 1,200-strikeout mark and moved into seventh place in NCAA history with 1,210 career strikeouts.
The Tigers continued to struggle putting the runs across the plate against Kentucky. In the first inning, April Janzen tripled with one out, but was thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice by Christy Connor.
In the second inning, Leigh Ann Danos drew a one-out walk. After advancing to second on a groundout by Megann Steege, she went to third on a passed ball, but again the Tigers stranded a runner at third. Wildcat shortstop Angie Dal Pozzo made a spectacular catch in shallow left centerfield to prevent the run and end the inning.
With one out in the third inning, Trena Peel singled up the middle and advanced to second when Kentucky took extra time getting the ball back to the pitcher. After a groundout by Janzen, Dal Pozzo again made an extraordinary throw from her knees on a ground ball from deep in the hole at shortstop to get Connor at first and prevent Peel from scoring from second.
The Tigers finally got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. Erin Johnson led off the inning with a single up the middle. After a line shot by Tessa Lynam was caught by the shortstop, Danos doubled to left centerfield and Johnson came around to score and give LSU the 1-0 lead.
Danos advanced to third on a groundout by Steege, but was stranded when Blair Smith grounded out to the third baseman to end the inning.
The bid for the perfect game for Sneed ended in the fifth inning as Andy Eilertson singled up the middle with one out, but she was stranded at first as Sneed struck out the final two batters.
Again in the top of the seventh, the Tigers had a chance to add to their lead. After her second double of the game, Danos was stranded at second.
Steege hit a line shot to right field that was aimed directly at the rightfielder. Jessica Braggins came in and pinch hit and struck out looking before Reeves was robbed of a base hit by Dal Pozzo as she caught a line drive deep in the hole.
Kentucky got only their second hit of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, but it was a big one as Lyndsey Angus nailed a one-out home run to left field to tie the game at one apiece.
After allowing Kentucky to send the game into extra innings, the Tigers exploded for three runs in the eighth. Peel reached first on an error by Dal Pozzo to start the inning. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Janzen.
Christy Connor then singled to right field and Peel came around to score as rightfielder Jessica Nance misplayed the ball. An Erin Johnson single to centerfield and an error by centerfielder Megan Brooks allowed Connor to score and Johnson to advance to third.
Tessa Lynam then singled to left field and Johnson scored from third before Danos got her third hit of the game to advance Lynam to third, but both runners were stranded as Steege lined out to right field and Smith popped up to right field.
Kentucky challenged in the bottom of the eighth. Amanda Friberg led off with a single to right field that got past Steege in right and sent Friberg to third. She later scored on a wild pitch, but Sneed got a pair of strikeouts and a pop out to end the inning.
LSU will travel to face non-conference rival Southern Miss on Wednesday in a doubleheader at 5 p.m. in Hattiesburg, Miss. The Tigers took a pair of games from the Lady Eagles in Baton Rouge last week, 10-0 and 2-0.