LAS VEGAS — A combined no-hitter by Kristin Schmidt and Tessa Lynam and three home runs by Julie Wiese led the seventh-ranked LSU softball team to a pair of victories on the second day of the UNLV Softball Classic on Saturday at Stephanie Lynn Craig Park in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Tigers (6-3) defeated Cal Poly (7-8), 12-0, to open the day, before taking a 5-2 decision over Utah (4-5) in the nightcap.
“This was a good day for the Tigers,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “This morning the bats exploded like we knew they could. I liked the fight in our team tonight. You can only achieve positive results when you keep fighting like we did against Utah.”
Wiese and Christy Connor tied the school single-game record for home runs with two each against Cal Poly. With her third home run of the day, Wiese passed Shaunte’ Fremin and Tyra Perry to move into fourth place in career home runs at LSU. Camille Harris also went 4-for-8 on the day with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored.
“Julie Wiese is looking like her freshman self,” said Girouard, “and that is great new for our team. I also thought Camille Harris did an outstanding job for us at the plate today.”
Schmidt and Lynam combined to throw the second no-hitter for the Tigers of 2003 against Cal Poly. Schmidt threw five no-hit innings, did not allow a walk and struck out seven. Lynam came on to close it out with no-hit innings in the sixth and seventh. She did not allow a walk and struck out two, as LSU was just two errors shy of a perfect game.
“I thought our pitchers did an awesome job,” said Girouard. “They combined for a no-hitter in the first game and they pitched well together to come away with a big win for us in the second game.”
The Tigers nailed five home runs against the Mustangs, breaking the team single-game school record for home runs. The previous record was four set against Kansas on March 2, 1997.
The Tigers broke the game open in the top of the third inning. Jennie Reeves led off with a walk for LSU. After a strikeout, LaDonia Hughes drew a walk to put runner on first and second. Harris then knocked a single up the middle that scored Reeves from second.
After an infield groundout by Sara Fitzgerald moved Hughes and Harris to second and third, Wiese nailed her first home run of the season to straightaway centerfield to give LSU the 4-0 lead. The homer moved Wiese into a tie for fifth on the Tiger career home run list with 15.
LSU threatened again in the top of the fourth inning. After a leadoff double by Blair Smith, Jennie Reeves was hit by an Eva Nelson pitch to put runners on first and second. The Tigers loaded the bases on a walk to Lauren Delahoussaye, pinch hitting for Megann Steege, but could not convert. A strikeout by Stephanie Hill, pinch-hitting for Hughes, and back-to-back infield groundouts left the bases loaded.
Schmidt’s bid for the perfect game was broken up with two outs in the bottom of the fourth innings as the Tigers recorded back-to-back errors. With runners on first and second, she got out of the inning by getting Holly Ballard to pop out to the shortstop.
Wiese extended the LSU lead to 5-0 in the top of the fifth with her second home run of the game. Leading off the inning, she nailed a 1-0 offering over the right centerfield fence. Christy Connor then promptly nailed her first home run of the season over the centerfield wall to push the lead to 6-0.
In the top of the sixth, the Tigers added another run as Sara Fitzgerald doubled in Hughes. Hughes had reached on a bunt single, advanced to second on a groundout and stole third.
In the top of the sixth, Connor led off with her second home run of the game. She drove a 1-0 pitch over the right centerfield fence to push the lead to 8-0. The home run was the 14th for Connor as a Tiger.
Alicia Owen then nailed a double to center field before Blair Smith drove her in on a single to left field. Smith advanced to second on the play and moved to third on a wild pitch. A walk by Leigh Ann Danos put runners at the corners. Smith then scored on a Delahoussaye groundout.
After a Hughes flyout to left field, Harris nailed her first collegiate home run, taking an 0-1 pitch deep over the left centerfield fence to extend the LSU run to 12-0.
With a no-hitter going through five innings, Schmidt was relieved by Lynam in the bottom of the sixth inning. Lynam came in and shut down the Mustangs in order in the sixth and seventh.
Against Utah, Wiese got things started for the Tigers with her third home run of the day in the bottom of the first inning to give LSU the early 1-0 lead. An RBI double by Wiese in the bottom of the third scored Harris, who had reached on an infield single, to give the Tigers the 2-0 lead.
The Utes came back to tie the game in the top of the fourth. Niki Hayhurst reached on an error by Delahoussaye in right field on a dropped fly ball to lead off the inning. On a fielder’s choice Glennis Donnelly reached as Lauren Field, pinch running for Hayhurst, was out at second.
Lynsey Wall was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third before a single by Traci Keller scored both Wall and Donnelly.
LSU retook the lead in the bottom of the inning. Danos led off the inning with a single up the middle. After Reeves came on to pinch run for Danos, Delahoussaye reached on an error and Reeves moved to third on a sacrifice bunt attempt, but Delahoussaye was thrown out trying to take second on the play.
After a walk to Smith, she tagged and moved to second on a sacrifice fly by Hughes to center field. On the play, Donnelly, the Ute shortstop misplayed the throw in from the outfield and Reeves scored and Smith moved to third.
Fitzgerald then doubled to left centerfield and drove in Smith. The second error of the inning by Donnelly allowed Fitzgerald to score as Camille Harris went to first and gave LSU the 5-2 lead.
In the top of the sixth, Utah threatened with three singles that loaded the bases with one out. Lynam came on to relieve Schmidt in the circle and retired Sarah Lyman and Jackie Wong on back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the inning unscathed.
Schmidt earned her second win of the day to improve to 3-3 on the day, while Lynam earned the first save of her career. Schmidt allowed two unearned runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts in five and a third innings.
Lynam allowed just one hit in one and two thirds innings with two strikeouts.
The Tigers conclude the three-day tournament on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT against Central Michigan. The Chippewas went winless on day one, falling to Cal State Fullerton, 9-1, in five innings and UC-Riverside, 3-0.