STARKVILLE, Miss. — The 11th-ranked LSU softball team staged two dramatic come-from behind efforts to sweep a doubleheader from Mississippi State, 4-3 and 15-13 in eight innings, at the MSU Softball Field on Wednesday night.
The Tigers improved to 25-9 overall and 6-4 in the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State dropped to 23-14 overall and 3-8 in league play.
In the first game, the Tiger trailed 2-0 after the third inning and 2-1 after four before putting up two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to take the 4-2 lead. The Bulldogs mounted a seventh inning rally, scoring one run to cut the LSU lead to 4-3 and loading the bases with no outs before Kristin Schmidt got out of the jam to hold on for the Tiger win.
Despite allowing 13 runs on 17 hits, the most in a single game in school history, LSU defeated Mississippi State in the second game that lasted over three hours. The Tigers trailed 9-3 after four innings. A grand slam by Camille Harris in the fifth sparked LSU’s comeback effort. The Tigers put up four runs in the fifth, two in the sixth, three in the seventh to tie the game at 12 and three in the eighth.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Mississippi State scored one runs to cut the LSU lead to 15-12 and loaded the bases with one out, but Schmidt got a popout and a strikeout to end the game and preserve the win.
“I have been involved in some unbelievable games and I believe that this might just be one of the craziest,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “I have to give credit to the players for never giving up. It was a very ugly game on defense but we came back and found a way to win. It was just a crazy day.”
Schmidt got the win for the Tigers in both games to improve to 14-8 on the season. In the first game she allowed three runs on seven hits with six walks and four strikeouts in the complete-game effort. In the second game she came on in relief in the seventh inning. She allowed one run on two hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
Tessa Lynam threw the first six innings of the second game, allowing 12 runs, seven earned, on 15 hits with three walks and five strikeouts.
Jennifer Nelson took the loss in game one to drop to 4-4 on the year. She allowed four runs on eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Melissa Massey took the loss in game two to fall to 15-6 on the season. She threw six innings, allowing 12 runs, six earned, on nine hits with six walks and two strikeouts.
Stephanie Owens threw one inning in the second game, allowing three earned runs on one hit with three walks. Courtney Frank threw a third of an inning, allowing one hits and one walk, while Summer Delaneuville threw two-thirds of an inning, allowing a walk with one strikeout.
In game one, Jennifer Nelson led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk for Mississippi State. Brooke Best then drove a 1-1 pitch out of the park down the left field line to give the Bulldogs the early 2-0 lead.
LSU cut the Mississippi State lead in half in the top of the fourth inning.
Tessa Lynam led off the inning with her first home run of the season. She nailed an 0-1 pitch high over the left field for the 2-1 Bulldog lead.
In the top of the fifth, the Tigers took their first lead of the game. With one out, Megann Steege walked. On a hit to second by LaDonia Hughes, the Mississippi State second baseman, Best, missed the tag on Steege going to second to put runners on first and second.
Sara Fitzgerald then nailed a shot down the left field line to drive in Steege and send Hughes to third, as Fitzgerald advanced to second on the third. On a groundout to second by Leigh Ann Danos, Hughes scored from third for the 3-2 LSU lead.
The Tigers added a run in the top of the sixth inning to extend the lead to 4-2. Julie Wiese led off with a single up the middle. She advanced to second on a wild pitch. On a single to right field by Christy Connor, Wiese advanced to third. Blair Smith then singled off the bag at third base, scoring Wiese from third.
Mississippi State mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh. Nelson led off the inning with a walk. Best then singled to send Nelson to second. On a single up the middle by Iyhia McMichael, Nelson scored, Best advanced to third and McMichael moved to second on the throw. With no outs, Schmidt intentionally walked Jennifer Waterman to load the bases.
Jennifer Jessup then lined out to Christy Connor at third base for the first out. Schmidt struck out Blaire Brown, pinch hitting for Callye Williams before Lindsay Nelson fouled out to Steege in left field to end the game with the bases loaded.
In the second game, LSU jumped on the board in the top of the first inning.
With one out, Hughes hit an infield single. She stole second and scored on an RBI single to left field by Wiese.
Mississippi State came back to take the lead with four runs in the bottom of the first. Nelson led off with a bloop single to left field. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. McMichael singled to score Nelson for the first Bulldog run. McMichael then stole second.
With two outs, Jessup singled through the right side to score McMichael and tie the game. Jessup then stole second before she advanced to third on an error by Wiese at third that put runners at the corners. Brown hit an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop to score Jessup from third and up runners at first and second. Jaspers then hit a bunt single and Williams scored from second on an error by Fitzgerald on the throw from Lynam on the play for the 4-1 Mississippi State lead.
LSU got two runs back in the top of the second inning. Smith and Alicia Owen walked to lead off the inning. With one out, Fitzgerald was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Hughes then reached on a fielding error by Melissa Massey in the circle as Smith scored from third. On a groundout by Tessa Lynam, Owen scored from third to cut the Mississippi State lead to 4-3.
The Bulldogs built its lead to four in the bottom of the second inning.
Nelson reached and advanced to second on a throwing error by Fitzgerald from third. She then scored on a single to right field by Brooke Best, who advanced to second on the throw. A single by McMichael then scored Best from second.
With one out, Jessup hit a bunt single as McMichael scored from second.
Jessup was thrown out attempting to take second before Williams struck out to end the inning.
Mississippi State added two runs in the bottom of the third inning on a home run by Krystal Tillman. The Bulldog lead stood at 9-3 after three innings.
The Tigers got back in the game in the top of the fifth inning. With one out, Wiese doubled to left field. A walk by Smith with two outs put runners on first and second. A fielding error by the third baseman loaded the baseman. Camille Harris then nailed a grand slam home run that bounced off the top of the left centerfield fence and bounced over. It was the third home run for Harris and cut the Mississippi State lead to 9-7.
The Bulldogs extended their lead back to five in the bottom of the fifth inning. Tillman led off with a bunt single. With one out Nelson reached on an error by Wiese at third on a sacrifice bunt attempt and Tillman advanced to second. A single by Best through the left side scored Tillman as Nelson went to third and Best moved to second on the throw.
McMichael then walked to load the bases before Waterman singled to right field to score Nelson. With two outs, a four-pitch walk to Williams scored McMichael from third for the 12-7 Mississippi State advantage.
LSU cut into that lead again in the top of the sixth on a solo home run by Lynam. After a walk to Julie Wiese, Jennie Reeves doubled down the left field line to score Wiese from first as Reeves went to third on the throw, cutting the Bulldog lead to 12-9.
The Tigers began the seventh inning with a leadoff double down the right field line by Harris. On a groundout by Fitzgerald, Harris advanced to third on interference by the Mississippi State shortstop. After a walk to Hughes, she stole second. Lynam then grounded out to the shortstop, scoring Harris and moving Hughes to third.
After a walk to Lauren Delahoussaye, a wild pitch scored Hughes and moved Delahoussaye to second. Wiese then walked before Jennie Reeves came through with a single up the middle that scored Delahoussaye from second to tie the game and moved Wiese to third as Reeves advanced to second on the throw. On a line shot to centerfield by Smith, McMichael made a leaping catch to save two runs and end the inning with the score tied 12-12.
In the top of the eighth inning, Alicia Owen led off with a walk. On a sacrifice bunt attempt by Harris, the play was too late to get Owen at second. With runners on second and third, Fitzgerald doubled to left centerfield for the 14-12 lead. A groundout by Hughes moved Fitzgerald to third before she scored on a wild pitch to run the lead to 15-12.
Mississippi State began the bottom of the eighth with an infield single by Jaspers. Tillman then doubled off the top of the left field fence, scoring Jaspers from first. A sacrifice bunt by Best put runners on second and third before the Tigers intentionally walked McMichael and load the bases. An infield popup by Lindsey Nelson, pinch hitting for Waterman, gave LSU two outs before a strikeout ended the game for the Tigers.
The series will conclude with a single game on Thursday beginning at 4 p.m.
The Tigers will then return home for a three-game series with Western Division leader Alabama. The series begins with a doubleheader on Saturday at 4 p.m. Tickets are available at all area Winn Dixie stores as LSU attempts to “Pack the Park”.