BATON ROUGE — The eighth-ranked LSU softball team defeated Southern Miss, 3-0, before falling to Houston, 3-1, in the second day of the Purple & Gold Challenge at Tiger Park.
The Tigers move to 14-5 on the season and 3-1 in the tournament and will advance to Sunday’s bracket play as the top seed. After winning both of its games on Saturday, Houston improves to 9-9 on the year and 3-1 in the tournament and will face the third seed, Southern Miss, in bracket play on Sunday. The Lady Eagles split their two games to move to 7-8 on the year and 2-2 in pool play. Jackson State lost both of its Saturday games to fall to 3-13 on the year and 0-4 in the tournament.
Houston will now face Southern Miss on Sunday at 10 a.m., followed by LSU against Jackson State at noon. The winners of those games will advance to the tournament championship game at 2 p.m.
Against Houston, Tessa Lynam lost her first game of the season, falling to 7-1 on the year. She allowed three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings. Kristin Schmidt came on in relief in the fifth inning and allowed one hit in one and a third innings.
Jamie Falco got the win for Houston to improve to 4-4 on the year. She allowed one run on four hits with five walks and four strikeouts.
The Tigers failed to capitalize with runners on base, stranding seven in the game, including four in scoring position. All three of Houston’s runs were scored with two outs in the inning.
“Give all the credit to Houston,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “They came out swinging the bats and their pitcher controlled us the whole game.
We had a ton of situations with the right people at the plate but didn’t get that opportune hit. We talk about that all the time, getting the hit at the right time and we certainly didn’t today.
“Houston was very aggressive. They came in with probably the best batting average of any team in the tournament and they are very aggressive with their sticks. They took it to us tonight.”
Houston jumped on the board first with a run in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs, Kim Nesloney singled to left center. She then scored on a double to deep centerfield by Jeanie Davis.
LSU bounced back to tie the game with a run in the top of the fourth inning.
With one out, Lynam walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. She then scored on a double to right centerfield by Alicia Owen.
A two-run home run by Davis off of Lynam with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning put the Cougars ahead 3-1.
“I probably should have made a pitching change in that inning,” Girouard said. “I thought about it and probably should have done it, but it’s one of those learning moments for all of us.”
In the Tigers’ first game of the day against Southern Miss, the pair played to a scoreless tie until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Tigers put three runs on the board.
LSU threatened in the bottom of the second inning, loading the bases with two outs, but could not convert. Southern Miss countered with runners on second and third with one out in the top of the fourth, but Schmidt struck out Sarah Boyd and Laura Smith to get out of the inning.
The Tigers put runners on second and third in the fifth inning. After an infield single by Jennie Reeves to lead off the inning, she advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Camille Harris that was misplayed by the first baseman, allowing Harris to reach second. LSU could not push a run across as the Tigers grounded out in consecutive at-bats before a fly out ended the inning.
LSU finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Julie Wiese led off with single up the middle and advanced to second on an error by the center fielder. After Megann Steege came on to pinch run for her, Owen singled to put runners on first and third.
A walk by Blair Smith loaded the bases. After a fielder’s choice got Steege out at home, Harris once again reached on an error, scoring both Smith and Owen. An error by the first baseman allowed Hughes to reach and Reeves to score before Harris was thrown out trying to score from second with LSU leading 3-0.
The Lady Eagles went down in order in the top of the seventh to end the game.
Schmidt earned her third complete-game shutout of the season to improve to 7-4. She allowed three hits with two walks and struck out eight batters.
Jessica Holaway got the loss for Southern Miss to fall to 3-5 on the year.
She allowed three unearned runs on four hits with two walks and one strikeout.
SOUTHERN MISS 9, JACKSON STATE 1 — Three home runs by the Lady Eagles led Southern Miss to a 9-1 run-rule victory over Jackson State in the first game on Saturday in the Purple & Gold Challenge at Tiger Park.
The top three in the lineup for Southern Miss, Ashley Brenan, Auriel Jenkins and Ashley Davis, each nailed home runs and combined to go 6-for-9 with seven RBIs and five runs scored.
Southern Miss scored in every inning, including a three-run second. The Lady Eagles got on the board with an RBI single by Davis in the first. Brenan hit a three-run home run in the second before Davis hit a solo shot in the third. Boyd also knocked in a run in the third on an RBI single.
Southern Miss added two more in the fourth on the two-run home run by Jenkins. An RBI single by Laura Smith in the bottom of the fifth was the game winner for the Lady Eagles.
Jackson State got its only run of the tournament in the top of the third inning. Jennitra Oliver singled to start the inning. She stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. On a pick off attempt by the Lady Eagle catcher, Oliver scored as the ball went into left field.
HOUSTON 5, JACKSON STATE 0 — Three Jackson State errors led to three unearned runs as Houston went on to defeat the Lady Tigers, 5-0, in the third game on Saturday in the Purple & Gold Challenge at Tiger Park.
Houston got an unearned run in the top of the first inning. Jenny Baker reached on an error by the second baseman. She stole second and scored on a single by Kim Nesloney.
The Cougars added a pair in the top of the third. Candis Turnbo reached on an error by the third baseman. With one out, Nesloney walked. A groundout put runners on second and third before Turnbo scored and Nesloney advanced to third on a wild pitch. A single by Arelis Ferreris scored Nesloney for the 3-0 lead.
A pair in the fourth ended the scoring for the game. After a leadoff walk to Michelle Whipple, she was sacrifice over to second base. Baker then singled and advanced to second as Whipple moved to third. A single to left field by Kristen Glowacz gave Houston the 5-0 advantage.