COLUMBUS, Ga. — Four runs in the fourth and three in the ninth gave the ninth-ranked Tigers a come-from-behind win over 10th-ranked Oklahoma in nine innings on Sunday afternoon at South Common Stadium in the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
With the win, the Tigers impove to 11-4 on the season while Oklahoma falls to 7-4. LSU finishes the NFCA Leadoff Classic at 2-1, while the Sooner also finish the tournament at 2-1.
“This was just a great, great win for the Tigers,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “I am very proud of my team for the way they came out here today after we let one slip away last night. There is a lot of fight in the Tigers and that is exactly what we did here today. We fought until the end and came away with a big win.”
LaDonia Hughes hit a two-RBI single in the top of the fourth to tie the game at fourth to cap a four-run inning. She then broke the 4-4 tie in the top of the ninth with an RBI double before Sara Fitzgerald homered to left field to run the score to 7-4.
Kristin Schmidt earned the win in relief to run her record to 5-4 on the season. She came on in the fifth to throw four and two thirds innings of shutout softball. She allowed one hit with seven strikeouts. Tessa Lynam started for LSU. She allowed four runs, only two of which were earned, on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
The Tigers threatened early in game. LaDonia Hughes lead off with a walk, but was caught trying to steal second. With two outs, Julie Wiese nailed a double to right center field. On a walk to Christy Connor, Wiese advanced to third on the wild pitch. Blair Smith then lined out to the third baseman to end the inning.
Oklahoma jumped on the board in the bottom of the first. With two outs, Kelli Braitsch reached on a dropped fly ball by Smith at shortstop. The next batter, Leah Gulla, then hit her first home run of the season over the left field fence to give the Sooners the 2-0 lead. Hughes then made a great catch in deep center field on a Heather Scaglione hit, taking out the temporary fence in the outfield but preventing a home run.
With one out in the bottom of the third inning, Erin Evans reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on an error by Wiese. She advanced to third on a deep fly ball out to right field before Gulla hit her second home run of the day to give Oklahoma the 4-0 lead.
To lead off the top of the fourth inning for the Tigers, Wiese drew a walk.
On a single by Connor to right field, Wiese was thrown out trying to take third. With one out, Smith singled up the middle and Tessa Lynam, pinch running for Connor, advanced to third. Alicia Owen then drew a walk to load the bases and Jennie Reeves walked to score the first LSU run.
With a two-ball count on Camille Harris, Dana Askins replaced Nicole Denes in the circle. Harris also drew a walk to send Lynam home and cut the lead to 4-2 Oklahoma. Hughes then tied the game with a bloop single over third base that scored Owen and Reeves. Gulla, playing third for the Sooners, then made a diving catch on a Sara Fitzgerald line drive to end the inning.
Oklahoma threatened again in the bottom of the fifth inning. Evans reached on a bunt single with one out. A double by Braitsch put runners on second and third before Kristin Schmidt replaced Lynam in the circle for LSU.
Schmidt struck Gulla out looking for the second out. Megann Steege then made a sliding catch in left field on a Heather Scaglione fly ball to end the inning.
With the scored tied after seven innings, the Tigers began the top of the eighth inning with a runner on second because of the international tie breaker rule. With Stephanie Hill on second, pinch running for Connor, Smith sacrificed her to third, but LSU could not push the run across.
Oklahoma also began the eighth with a runner on second. Schmidt struck out the side in order for the Tigers to get out of the inning.
With Steege starting on second for the Tigers in the top of the second, Reeves sacrificed her down to third. Hughes then doubled to left field to scored Steege and give LSU the lead. Fitzgerald then nailed a two-run home run, the second of her career, to left field to extend the Tiger lead to 7-4.
In the bottom of the ninth, Askins struck out to start the inning with Jessica Leslie on second. Back-to-back popouts to Smith at shortstop ended the game.
LSU will now take on McNeese State in a single game on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Tiger Park before the Purple & Gold Classic in Baton Rouge next weekend.