BATON ROUGE — Three RBIs by junior Julie Wiese led the seventh-ranked LSU softball team to a 3-1 victory over Stephen F. Austin before the Tigers dropped a 4-0 decision to No. 11 DePaul on Saturday at Tiger Park in the Tiger Classic.
The Tigers moved to 3-1 on the year and in tournament play, while Stephen F. Austin fell to 1-3 in the tournament play and 3-5 overall. DePaul remains undefeated for the season and in round robin play at 4-0 heading into bracket play on Sunday.
DePaul and Baylor will face off at 10 a.m. on Sunday before LSU takes on Stephen F. Austin for the third time at noon. The tournament championship game will be played at 2 p.m. Due to travel arrangements DePaul will not play in the tournament championship game, regardless of the 10 a.m. outcome.
The LSU-Stephen F. Austin winner will face Baylor at 2 p.m.
In the nightcap against DePaul, Blue Demon pitcher Lindsay Chouinard stumped the Tigers at the plate. The senior pitcher was two outs from a perfect game before Sara Fitzgerald singled up the middle for the first baserunner of the game for LSU.
“We ran into a very good pitcher tonight,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “DePaul is a very good team that was just a few innings from the Women’s College World Series last year. The thing that I am most disappointed in with our effort is that we did not start to really battle until the seventh inning and not before. You have to credit DePaul, through. They are an excellent team and gave us the battle that we expected.”
The Blue Demons got things started early with back-to-back bunt singles to lead off the game. After a throwing error by Tiger shortstop Blair Smith, a two-RBI double by Sarah Douglas gave DePaul the 2-0 lead.
The lead built to four runs in the bottom of the fourth when Katy Kukman led off with a single for the Blue Demons. After a double by Douglas, an RBI single by Dana Kenney gave DePaul the 3-0 lead. The Blue Demons added their final run on a delayed double steal by Kenney and Douglas, as Douglas took home.
Kristin Schmidt took the complete-game loss for the Tigers, falling to 1-1 on the year. She allowed four runs, only two of which were earned, on six hits with one walk. She also struck out four batters.
In the first game of the day for LSU, starter Tessa Lynam (2-0) earned her second win over the Ladyjacks in two days after allowing one run on three hits while walking one and striking out one in 4 2/3 innings of work.
Schmidt earned her first save of the season, pitching the final 2 1/3 and giving up only two hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Wiese gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI double to score designated hitter Christy Connor, who reached base on a single. Wiese’s hit bounced off the top of the centerfield fence, just inches from clearing the wall for her first home run of the year.
In the third, Wiese got the game-winning hit with a two-out, two-RBI single off SFA reliever Nicole Carter. After Smith singled to leadoff the inning, she advanced to third when Fitzgerald reached on an error. Connor grounded out to set up Wiese’s heroics.
Wiese finished 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Smith was 2-for-2 with a run scored.
“Julie is on fire at the plate,” said Girouard. “She gave us all the runs we needed. As the season goes along, we will score more runs and have other players step up for us at and give her some help at the plate when we need them to.”
SFA’s lone run came off Lynam in the top of the fourth when Crista Hargrove reached base on a fielder’s choice and scored on a double by Lee Lara.
Game 5:
Baylor (6-3) 2
Stephen F. Austin (3-4) 4
Box Score
BATON ROUGE — Stephen F. Austin used a three-run bottom of the fourth to break a scoreless tie and then held off Baylor for its first victory in the Tiger Softball Classic, 4-2.
The Ladyjacks (3-4) improved to 1-2 in tournament play, while Baylor (6-3) fell to 1-2.
SFA’s Crissy Autry improved to 2-3 on the season after allowing only one run on five hits over five innings. She struck out four and walked three. Autry was relieved by Traci Moore in the sixth. Moore earned a save, giving up one run on three hits in two innings of work.
Baylor’s Sarah Caudle (1-1) lost for the first time this season, but was the victim of four unearned runs on three Lady Bears’ errors.
In the bottom of the fourth, SFA’s Meryl McGuire reached on a fielder’s choice after Carrie Woydziak’s single to open the inning. Brooke Chandler then reached on an error to put two runners on base.
After a ground out pushed runners to second and third with two outs, Lee Lara gave the Ladyjacks a 2-0 lead with a two-RBI single to left field. Lara advanced to second on the throw to the plate, allowing her to score on a second error on Ragen Rutherford’s ground ball to second base.
Trailing 3-0, Baylor’s Kelly Levesque responded with a triple to right center to open the fifth inning. She scored the Lady Bears’ first run on fielder’s choice by Kim Wilmoth.
However, SFA extended the lead back to three runs after a third Lady Bears’ error allowed Jaime Brown to reach second base. Brown advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Woydziak and scored on a single by McGuire for a 4-1 lead.
Baylor’s final run came in the sixth inning when Danelle Arnold doubled to center and scored on double by Amber Daniel.
SFA returns to the field immediately, facing LSU at 2 p.m.
Game 6:
Stephen F. Austin (3-5) 1
#7 LSU (3-0) 3
Box Score
BATON ROUGE — For the second time in as many days, the seven-ranked LSU softball team defeated Stephen F. Austin by a score of 3-1 in the 2003 Tiger Classic. Junior third baseman Julie Wiese drove in all three Tigers runs as LSU improved to 3-0 overall on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers face 11th-ranked DePaul, which enters its matchup undefeated in tournament action at 2-0, in the nightcap of the classic’s second day at 6 p.m. CST on Saturday. The Blue Demons take on Baylor in game six of the classic before facing the Tigers.
SFA fell to 1-3 in the tournament play and 3-5 overall. They will be the third seed in bracket play on Sunday, while Baylor will be the No. 4 seed.
LSU starter Tessa Lynam (2-0) earned her second win over the Ladyjacks after allowing one run on three hits while walking one and striking out one in 4 2/3 innings of work. Kristin Schmidt earned her first save of the season, pitching the final 2 1/3 and giving up only two hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Wiese gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI double to score designated hitter Christy Connor, who reached base on a single.
In the third, Wiese got the game-winning hit with a two-out, two-RBI single off SFA reliever Nicole Carter. After Blair Smith singled to leadoff the inning, she advanced to third when Sarah Fitzgerald reached on an error. Connor grounded out to set up Wiese’s heroics.
Wiese finished 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Smith was 2-for-2 with a run scored.
SFA’s lone run came off Lynam in the top of the fourth when Crista Hargrove reached base on a fielder’s choice and scored on a double by Lee Lara.
Game 7:
#11 DePaul (3-0) 3
Baylor (6-4) 1
Box Score
BATON ROUGE — Although outhit 8-3, DePaul scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie and remain undefeated in the Tiger Classic with a 3-1 victory over Baylor.
Baylor (6-4) dropped its fourth-straight game in the tournament and will face the winner of game eight between LSU and DePaul in bracket play at noon on Sunday. DePaul improved to 3-0 overall.
Blue Demons’ starter Sarah Martz (2-0) earned the win by allowing only one run on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings pitched. She walked one and struckout one before being relieved by Lindsay Chouinard, who received her second save in two relief appearances. Chouinard pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing only one it with two strikeouts.
Baylor starter Katie Decker (1-1) took the loss after allowing three unearned runs in six innings of action. She only gave up one it while fanning six and walking a pair. Joni Miller came in relief in the seventh, giving up two hits.
For the Lady Demons, third baseman Katy Kukman drove in a pair of runs while going 2-for-3. Liz Bouck scored two runs, and Martz had the third.
DePaul took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Bouck walked, stole second, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a ground ball out by Gina Ramacci.
The Lady Bears answered in the bottom of the second, as Sarah Caudle blasted a solo home run over the right field walls to tie the game at 1-1.
In the top of the sixth, the visiting Blue Demons broke the game open when Bouck reached base on a error to start the inning, Martz walked and Ramacci singled to right field to load the bases. Kukman singled to left center field for the game-winning hit, scoring Bouck and Martz.
Game 8:
#7 LSU (3-1) 0
#11 Baylor (4-0) 4
Box Score