BATON ROUGE — The No. 10-ranked LSU softball team closed out the 2003 home schedule with a 7-3 victory over Southern Miss for Senior Night.
With the win the Tigers (44-12) have now won 18 of their last 19 games and posted a 17-1 record in the month of April. Southern Miss dropped to 25-27 on the year and 0-3 against LSU on the season.
“We hit the ball really hard tonight,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “Considering that we still have a few bats that are out of the lineup I feel good about where we are right now.”
Senior Christy Connor posted one of two multiple-hit performances, going 2-for-2 with a run scored on the night and extending her hitting streak to eight games. Senior Jennie Reeves went 1-for-3 with an RBI, while senior Megann Steege made several outstanding plays in left field. The three members of the Tiger senior class were honored in a ceremony prior to the start of the game.
“What a fabulous crowd to send us off,” said Girouard. “The three seniors got to play for the last time in Tiger Park in front of a tremendous crowd. They have been great all year, but this was the icing on the cake.”
Kristin Schmidt got the complete-game win to improve to 29-10 on the season. She allowed three runs on four hits with two walks, all in the fourth inning. She also recorded her seventh double-figure strikeout performance of the season with 11, striking out the final six batters she faced.
“Kristin had a no-hitter going into the fourth inning and then kind of lost her focus,” said Girouard. “She gave up the two walks that kind of got her in trouble. Anytime you walk two people, you invite disaster and that is exactly what happened. After that she kind of found herself again and got back into a really good roll.”
The Tigers jumped on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Tessa Lynam led off with a single up the middle and advanced to second on an error by the center fielder. On a foul out to right field by Alicia Owen, Lynam moved to third. She then scored on a double to left centerfield by Blair Smith.
On a single up the middle by Reeves, Smith scored from second as Reeves advanced to second on the throw and to third on an error by the center fielder.
LSU built the lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the third. Hughes singled through the left side to lead off the inning. After stealing second, Southern Miss walked the bases loaded. With one out, Owen hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Connor from third.
Southern Miss came back to tie the game in the top of the fourth inning.
With one out, Tammy Edwards singled to shortstop and advanced to second on an error by Smith. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases for the Lady Eagles.
The Tigers then surrendered three consecutive singles that scored three runs to tie the game 3-3.
LSU stormed back to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Hughes led off with a single up the middle. On a single by Connor, Hughes moved to third as Connor advanced to second. On a single by Julie Wiese, Hughes scored and Wiese advanced to second on the throw.
A walk to Lynam loaded the bases before Owen nailed a ball that appeared to leave the park for a grand slam to right centerfield. The umpire ruled that the ball hit off the top of the wall and bounced back into play for a long single as Hill, pinch running for Connor, scored from third.
“We must be the only team in the country that can hit the top of the padding and miss a grand slam by inches,” said Girouard.
Wiese then scored on wild pitch. On an infield groundout by Smith, Lynam scored from third on an error by the shortstop as the Tigers took the 7-3 lead.
Danielle Wymer took the loss for Southern Miss to drop to 5-10 on the year.
She allowed seven runs, five earned, on eight hits with three walks in four innings.
Jessica Holaway came in to pitch to one player and allowed a hit, Owen’s called-back grand slam, before being pulled. Danielle Hatfield finished the game for the Lady Eagles. She allowed one hit with two walks and two strikeouts in two innings.
The Tigers will close out the regular season this weekend as they travel to Florida. LSU will take on the Gators in a three-game series beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. The series will conclude with a single-game on Sunday at 10 a.m. CT.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us at Florida,” said Girouard. “They hit a little slump last weekend against Mississippi State but we will be in Florida and we will have to take care of business.”