BATON ROUGE — Five RBI by Tessa Lynam led the 11th-ranked LSU softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Southeastern Conference rival Kentucky, 5-0 and 9-1 in six innings, on Saturday afternoon at Tiger Park.
Riding a five-game winning streak, LSU improves to 32-11 overall and 10-6 in the SEC. Kentucky drops to 9-33 overall and 1-21 in the league, extending its losing streak to 20 consecutive games.
The Tigers will look to complete the three-game sweep with a single game on Sunday at 11 a.m. Cox Sports Television will broadcast the game live in Baton Rouge on cable channel 38. The game can also be heard on the LSU Sports Network on WJNH-Jam’n 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge and on the internet at www.LSUsports.net.
“Obviously it was good to get the sweep and we are very happy with that,” said LSU head coach Yvette Giroaurd. “We can do a better job I think. Kristin Schmidt settled down in the first game and it was great to get some innings out of Tessa Lynam. She did good today.”
The Tigers combined to scored 12 runs in the third innings of the doubleheader. Lynam nailed a three-run home run to cap a five-run third inning as the Tigers shut out the Wildcats, 5-0, in the first game. She came back to hit a two-RBI double in the second game as part of a seven-run third inning as LSU went on to run-rule Kentucky, 9-1. The game ended in the sixth inning on an RBI double by Megann Steege.
In the first game, Kentucky stranded runners at second and third in the first and a runner on third in the second inning. Kristin Schmidt got out of trouble in both innings, retiring the final out in the first by strikeout and getting out of the second with a strikeout and a groundout.
LSU broke up the no-hitter in the bottom of the third inning with a leadoff double by Alicia Owen. After a bunt base hit by LaDonia Hughes put runners on first and third, Sara Fitzgerald doubled down the left field line to score Owen and Hughes for the 2-0 Tiger lead.
After a walk to Camille Harris put runners on first and second, Lynam broke the game open with a three-run home run to left field. With two outs, Blair Smith doubled to right field before Julie Wiese flew out to deep left centerfield to end the inning with the Tigers leading, 5-0.
Although LSU would not record another hit in the game, the lead would hold up as Schmidt held the Wildcats scoreless. After a shaky start, was perfect in the final four innings. With the win, she improved to 19-9 on the year and moved into sole possession of second place in career shutouts at LSU with 17, including eight this season. She scattered five hits while striking out nine.
“We just have to make some adjustments at the plate,” Girouard said about the lack of hitting in every inning other than the third. “The game is all about adjustments and if you refuse to make them then it can be a long season. You have to have a plan going up there. You have to make some adjustments within an at-bat and obviously within the game.”
The third inning proved to be golden for the Tigers again in game two. With one out, Fitzgerald singled up the middle. She advanced to second on a fielder’s choice by Hughes as the Kentucky second baseman missed the tag on Fitzgerald going to second. Lynam then came up big again as she doubled off the base of the left field wall to score Fitzgerald and Hughes for the 2-0 Tiger advantage.
Lynam then advanced to third on a wild pitch before Leigh Ann Danos drew a walk. Jennie Reeves, running for Danos on first, stole second before Owen walked with two outs. A wild pitch scored Lynam from third before a walk to Julie Wiese loaded the bases once again.
Steege then nailed a double off the base of the left field wall to score Reeves and Owen and put runners on second and third. An error by the Kentucky shortstop allowed Harris to reach and Wiese and Steege to score to run the Tiger lead to 7-0 at the end of the third inning.
The Wildcats scored their first run of the series in the top of the fourth.
Lyndsey Angus tripled off the right field wall to lead off the inning. She scored on a single to right field by Rachel Friberg to cut the LSU lead to 7-1.
The Tigers got the run back in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out, Wiese doubled off the left field wall. She advanced to third on a single by Harris and scored on an RBI single by Fitzgerald. Lauren Delahoussaye, pinch hitting for Hughes, walked to load the bases but Lynam grounded out to third to end the inning.
In the sixth inning, Danos led off with a walk. After Smith reached on a fielder’s choice, Owen singled through the left side to put runners on first and second. Steege then doubled to left centerfield, scoring Smith from second for the 9-1 run-rule victory.
LSU has now run-ruled opponents on 71 occasions, while being run-ruled only three, the last in 1998. This season the Tigers have recorded six run-rule victories.
LSU remains in second place behind Alabama in the SEC Western Division. The Tigers did gain ground in the overall conference race after Florida lost to South Carolina, as LSU, Florida and Tennessee all have six league losses and South Carolina has seven.
“We’ve just got to take this pitch by pitch,” said Girouard. “Obviously there is some pressure on us but we just have to get better every day.”