AUBURN, Ala. — Kristin Schmidt threw 11 shutout innings as she led the 11th-ranked LSU softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Auburn, 2-0 and 5-4, on Saturday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field.
With the wins, LSU improved to 42-12 overall and 18-7 in the Southeastern Conference. Auburn dropped to 26-27 overall and 13-15 in league play. The series will conclude with a single game on Sunday at noon.
“It is important that we come out tomorrow and complete the series sweep so that we can distance ourselves from the remainder of the teams in the league for seeding purposes heading into the SEC Tournament,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard.
A two-out, two-run home run by Alicia Owen in the top of the seventh inning broke a scoreless tie and proved to be the game winner for LSU in game one.
It was the second collegiate home run for Owen, who hit a walk-off grand slam to defeat Ole Miss in the bottom of the 11th inning last weekend.
The second game was one dominated by home runs seven of the nine runs, including all five LSU runs, were scored off long balls. Leigh Ann Danos recorded three RBIs on two home runs, including what proved to be the game-winning shot in the top of the fourth inning.
With four home runs on the day, LSU now has 39 on the season, the second most single-season home runs in school history. The Fighting Tigers need just three home runs to break the record of 41 held by the 2001 team.
“We hit the ball really hard in the first game, but they did not have any eyes,” said Girouard. “We finally got a great shot by Alicia to kind of break it open. Leigh Ann Danos was swinging a big bat for us in the second game.”
Schmidt recorded her 12th complete-game shutout of the season in the first game. She came on in relief in the home half of the fourth inning of the second game and threw four no-hit innings to earn the victory. She now stands at 27-10 on the year, the fourth most single-season wins in LSU history.
“Schmidt did a great job for us in both games today,” said Girouard In seven innings of game one, she scattered two hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. After allowing seven base runners in the first three innings, she was a leadoff walk in the fifth inning away from being perfect over the final four innings.
In game two, she retired the first 11 batters she faced before allowing a two-out walk in the bottom of the seventh. She also struck out five, including two of the last three outs.
In the first game, LSU threatened early with runners on first and second in the top of the first with one out, but could not capitalize. In the second, the Fighting Tigers mounted another threat. LSU loaded the bases with one out. Owen walked before Blair Smith singled off the right field fence. A walk to Camille Harris put Fighting Tigers on all three bases but Owen was thrown out at home on a Sara Fitzgerald fielder’s choice and LaDonia Hughes grounded out to end the inning.
Harris was injured during her at bat. She was hit in her right arm by a pitch. After completing her at-bat with the walk, she left the game and did not return. Harris broke a bone in her forearem and will be reevaluated in a few weeks.
“Unfortunately we lost a starter to an injury,” said Girouard. “We’re not quite sure how long she will be out but it is a tremendous loss because she has been really swinging a hot bat for us.”
In the top of the sixth inning, the Fighting Tigers once again loaded the bases. Owen led off with a walk. Back-to-back singles by Smith and Megann Steege loaded them up with no outs, but LSU could not get anything out of it. Through six innings, the Fighting Tigers stranded 12 players on base, including seven in scoring position.
In the top of the seventh inning, Christy Connor led off with a double off the left centerfield wall. With two outs, Owen nailed her second collegiate home run to left field for the 2-0 LSU lead. After the Fighting Tigers had hit two balls off the outfield fence in the game, Owen’s ball cleared the 12-foot tall fence for the round tripper.
Dropping to 12-12 on the season, Kristen Keyes took the complete-game loss for Auburn. She allowed two runs on eight hits with six walks and five strikeouts.
LSU wasted no time in the second game. With one out, Hughes beat out an infield single. Connor then nailed a two-out, two-run home run to right centerfield for the 2-0 Fighting Tiger advantage.
Auburn came back to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. Shannon Anderson was hit by a pitch with one out. She then advanced to third on a single off the third base bag by Sara Dean as Dean moved to second on the play. A single to right field by Deni Zeigler scored both Anderson and Dean to tie the game.
After a leadoff walk by Owen in the top of the second inning, Leigh Ann Danos hit her third home run of the season to right centerfield to extend the Fighting Tiger lead to 4-2.
A leadoff home run by Martha Phillips in the bottom half of the inning cut the lead to 4-3 LSU before a third inning two-out solo home run by Kasey Angulo tied the game.
The Fighting Tigers retook the lead, 5-4, in the top of the fourth inning.
With two outs, Danos hit her second home run of the game to left field, tying the LSU single-game record for home runs in a game.
Tessa Lynam started and threw three innings for LSU. She allowed four runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout. Janet Spivey took the loss for Auburn to drop to 7-13 on the season. She allowed five runs on five hits with two walks in four innings. Angulo came in from second base to throw the final three innings. She allowed just one hit with a walk and three strikeouts to close out the game.
The Fighting Tigers will return home for their final regular-season home game as LSU takes on Southern Miss for Senior Day on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Prior to the game, the Fighting Tigers will honor the three members of the senior class.