BATON ROUGE — Junior Kristin Schmidt threw a no-hitter as the LSU softball team shut out Baylor, 1-0, after defeating Stephen F. Austin, 3-1, to open the 2003 season in the LSU Tiger Classic on a cold, Friday at Tiger Park.
The seventh-ranked Tigers improved to 2-0 on the season and will take on Stephen F. Austin again on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. before facing off with undefeated and 11th-ranked DePaul at 6 p.m. Stephen F. Austin fell to 2-4 on the day with losses to LSU and DePaul and Baylor fell to 6-2 with losses to the Tigers and DePaul.
Schmidt (1-0) threw the first no-hitter since transferring to LSU last season and the second of her collegiate career. She also threw a no-hitter against Toledo while a freshman at Notre Dame. Schmidt walked one and the Tigers committed two errors in the game, denying her the first perfect game of her career.
“With the cold weather out here today, it was definitely not a fun day to play softball,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “To go 2-0 was great. We will certainly take the result and to have Kristin throw a no-hitter was huge. She had a great effort for us and we gave her the one run she needed for the win. Our little bats came through in textbook form.”
The Tigers committed their first error in the top of the fifth inning with two outs when shortstop Blair Smith misplayed a Stacey Hundley hit. The Lady Bears could do nothing with the baserunner as Schmidt got out of the inning with a strikeout.
Baylor’s Joni Miller also had a perfect game going until the bottom of the fifth, when Julie Wiese singled to center field to lead off the inning. The Tigers failed to convert on the hit and left a runner stranded on first.
Miller (1-1) recorded the complete-game loss, allowing one run on three hits with one strikeout.
LSU did capitalize in the sixth inning when Blair Smith led off with a double to deep center field. After a sacrifice bunt by Jennie Reeves, a Sara Fitzgerald double to center field scored Smith from third and gave LSU the only run it would need.
The biggest threat Baylor mounted came in the seventh when an error by second baseman Sara Fitzgerald allowed Kim Wilmoth to reach first to lead off the inning. With two outs, Wilmoth stole second before Schmidt walked Kelly Osborn to give the Lady Bears runners on first and second. Schmidt closed out the threat and the game with a strikeout, her fourth of the game.
In the first game of the season and the second game of the Classic, LSU overcame a one-run deficit to beat Stephen F. Austin. Starting for the first time as a Tiger, Tessa Lynam pitched a complete game and allowed only one earned run on five hits while striking out seven and walking a pair. Lynam, who broke her left non-pitching hand only 10 days ago, improved to 1-0.
“I was happy with the effort that Tessa had for us today,” said Girouard. “We didn’t know how she would perform coming off of her injury, but she came out and threw a four-hitter and got stronger as she went through the game.”
Tigers’ junior college transfer LaDonia Hughes went 3-for-4 with three singles, a run scored and two stolen bases in her debut in Baton Rouge.
Designated hitter Christy Connor and catcher Leigh Ann Danos each collected a hit and an RBI for the Tigers.
SFA starter Crissy Autry (1-3) was relieved in the sixth after allowing all eight LSU hits, three runs — only one earned — with three walks and three strikeouts. Devin Cobb pitched the final two innings, allowing only one walk with a strikeout.
The Tigers, visitors in their first game of the tournament, rallied with a three-run fifth inning after the Ladyjacks took a 1-0 lead on a ground ball RBI by Lee Lara in the bottom of the third inning.
With one out in the fifth, Hughes collected her third single in three at bats, stole her second base of the day and then scored on a single by second baseman Sara Fitzgerald to tie the score at 1-1.
After Fitzgerald advanced to second on a Ladyjack error, Connor hit an RBI single to left center for the go-ahead run. Another error advanced pinch runner Stephanie Hill to second and allowed third baseman Wiese to reach first. Both advanced on a ground ball out before Hill scored the first run of her LSU career on an RBI single by Danos.
In other action on Saturday, Baylor will take on Stephen F. Austin at noon and DePaul at 4 p.m. The Tiger Classic will conclude with bracket play on Sunday with games beginning at 10 a.m. and concluding with the championship game at 2 p.m.
Game 1:
Stephen F. Austin (2-3) 0
#11 DePaul (1-0) 1
Box Score
BATON ROUGE — In the Tiger Classic opener, No. 11 DePaul scored the game’s only run on a two-out RBI single by left fielder Dana Kenney, while Blue Demons starting pitcher Sarah Martz threw a one-hitter to beat Stephen F. Austin, 1-0.
Martz (1-0) allowed only three walks with one strikeout in 6 2/3 innings. Lindsay Chouinard came in to get the final out and earn her first save.
With two outs in the top of the seventh, Ladyjacks’ pitcher Nicole Carter (0-1) advanced to second base on a two-base error by Blue Demon first baseman Saskia Roberson. Chouinard entered the game and walked the first batter she faced before getting leadoff hitter Carrie Woydziak to ground out to end the game.
The Blue Demons’ lone run was scored by pinch runner Jennie Doezie, when she took over at second base after a leadoff double by designated hitter Sarah Douglas. Doezie stole third and scored on a two-out ground ball single up the middle by Kenney.
Stephen F. Austin returns to the field immediately to face the No. 7-ranked LSU Tigers. DePaul next faces Baylor at 4 p.m. CST.
Game 2:
#7 LSU (1-0) 3
Stephen F. Austin (2-4) 1
Box Score
BATON ROUGE — Playing their first game of the 2003 season and the second game of the Classic, the seventh-ranked LSU softball team overcame a one-run deficit to beat Stephen F. Austin, 3-1, on Friday afternoon at Tiger Park.
Starting for the first time as a Tiger, Tessa Lynam pitched a complete game and allowed only one earned run on five hits while striking out seven and walking a pair. Lynam, who broke her left non-pitching hand only 10 days ago, improved to 1-0.
Tigers junior college transfer LaDonia Hughes went 3-for-4 with three singles, a run scored and two stolen bases in her debut in Baton Rouge. Designated hitter Christy Connor and catcher Leigh Ann Danos each collected a hit and an RBI for the Tigers.
SFA starter Crissy Autry (1-3) was relieved in the sixth after allowing all eight LSU hits, three runs — only one earned — with three walks and three strikeouts. Devin Cobb pitched the final two innings, allowing only one walk with a strikeout.
The Tigers, visitors in their first game of the tournament, rallied with a three-run fifth inning after the Ladyjacks took a 1-0 lead on a ground ball RBI by Lee Lara in the bottom of the third inning.
With one out In the fifth, Hughes collected her third single in three at bats, stole her second base of the day and then scored on a single by second baseman Sara Fitzgerald to tie the score at 1-1.
After Fitzgerald advanced to second on a Ladyjack error, Connor hit an RBI single to left center for the go-ahead run. Another error advanced pinch runner Stephanie Hill to second and allowed third baseman Julie Wiese to reach first. Both advanced on a ground ball out before Hill scored the first run of her LSU career on an RBI single by Danos.
LSU returns to the field for a 6 p.m. matchup with undefeated Baylor. Stephen F. Austin finishes day one of the Tiger Classic 0-2 and will face Baylor at noon on Saturday.
Game 3:
#11 DePaul (2-0) 2
Baylor (6-1) 0
Box Score
BATON ROUGE — No. 11 DePaul had at least one hit in the first six innings, as the Blue Demons won their second straight game in the Tiger Classic, 2-0, over previously unbeaten Baylor on Friday.
DePaul (2-0) scored runs in the third and sixth innings, more than enough for starter Lindsay Chouinard (1-0) who went the distance allowing only three hits with seven strikeouts.
Baylor (6-1) lost for the first time in 2003 after winning its own tournament last weekend. The Lady Bears didn’t advance a runner past second base, as Chouinard retired the last 11 of the game.
Starter Cristin Vitek (3-1) allowed all eight hits and both runs while striking out six without a walk. She was relieved by Katie Decker after allowing the Lady Demons’ second run in the sixth.
DePaul center fielder Sarah Martz was 2-for-4 with a run scored, while third baseman Katy Kukman and first baseman Saskia Roberson each collected a pair of hits in three at bats.
The Blue Demons’ first run came by virtue of a two-out single by Martz and an RBI double by Christina Douglas in the third.
The insurance run in the sixth inning was earned when Kukman singled up the middle to start the inning. Pinch runner Visin advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third on a sacrifice bunt by Chouinard. She gave the Lady Demons a 2-0 lead when Roberson reached on an infield single.
DePaul finished the first day of the Tiger Classic with a 2-0 record, while Baylor takes on LSU at 6:45 p.m.
Game 4:
Baylor (6-2) 0
#7 LSU (2-0) 1
Box Score
BATON ROUGE — In her first appearance of the season, LSU All-American pitcher Kristin Schmidt tossed a no-hitter and Sara Fitzgerald banged an RBI double in the sixth to break up the scoreless tie and win the game, 1-0, in the nightcap of the first day of the 2003 Tiger Classic.
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