GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The 10th-ranked LSU softball team closed out the regular season with a 4-0 loss on the road at Florida on Sunday afternoon at the Florida Softball Field.
With the loss, the Tigers dropped to 45-14 on the year and 20-9 in the Southeastern Conference. Florida improved to 38-21 overall and 19-11 in league play. It marked only the second time since the SEC went to three-game series in 2001 that LSU has lost a conference series.
“We now need to regroup and get healthy,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard after the loss. “We need to go into postseason play with a renewed enthusiasm.”
Kristin Schmidt took the complete-game loss to fall to 30-11 on the season, her first complete-game loss since March 27 at Mississippi State. She allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits with one walk and nine strikeouts.
Jenny Gladding earned the complete-game win to improve to 20-12 on the year. She allowed three hits and one walk with 11 strikeouts.
“We ran into a red-hot pitcher today in Jenny Gladding,” said Girouard. “Once again Kristin Schmidt gutted it out. She had a good performance but did not get much help either offensively or defensively.”
Florida took the lead early in the bottom of the first. Leadoff batter Jackie Marchetta bunted her way on. On a bunt single by Mylin Prieto, Marchetta advanced to third and scored on an error by Leigh Ann Danos. On the hit, Prieto moved to second. After she stole third, Prieto scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Jennifer Mossadeghi for the 2-0 Gator lead.
“We were kind of sleepwalking through that first inning and they kind of took it to us,” said Girouard.
LSU had a chance in the top of the third inning. After a leadoff walk to Blair Smith, she advanced to second on an error by the pitcher as Megann Steege reached on the fielder’s choice. With two on and no outs, however, the Tigers could not advance the runners, ending the inning with a pair of strikeouts and an infield foul out.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Gladding led off the inning with a four-pitch walk. After Brittani Houghton came in to pinch run for Gladding, she stole second. A home run to right centerfield by Mandy Schuerman extended the Florida lead to 4-0.
A single down the left field in by Alicia Owen in the top of the second broke up the no-hitter. The Tigers remained hitless until the seventh inning when Julie Wiese led off with an infield single.
With one out, Alicia Owen singled to left centerfield to put runners on first and second. Danos struck out for the second out of the game before Smith struck out to end the game.
The Tigers now travel to Plant City, Fla., for the 2003 SEC Tournament. LSU opens tournament play on Thursday at 11 a.m. ET as the third seed against the sixth seed, which will be either Auburn or Tennessee. The tournament continues through the championship game on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET.
LSU is the two-time defending SEC Tournament champion and has won three of the last four tournament championships. The Tigers have now won and SEC record eight consecutive tournament games, having gone undefeated over the past two years.
2003 SEC Softball Tournament
Plant City, Fla.
All times Central
Thursday, May 8
Game 1 – No. 3 LSU vs. No. 6 Tennessee 11 a.m.
Game 2 – No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 7 Auburn 1 p.m.
Game 3 – No. 4 South Carolina vs. No. 5 Florida 5 p.m.
Game 4 – No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Mississippi State 7 p.m.
Friday, May 9
Game 5 – LSU/Tennessee Loser vs. Alabama/Auburn Loser 11 a.m.
Game 6 – South Carolina/Florida Loser vs. Georgia/Mississippi State Loser 1 p.m.
Game 7 – LSU/Tennessee Winner vs. Alabama/Auburn Winner 5 p.m.
Game 8 – South Carolina/Florida Winner vs. Georgia/Mississippi State Winner 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 10
Game 9 – Loser of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 5 11 a.m.
Game 10 – Loser of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 6 1 p.m.
Game 11 – Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 9 5 p.m.
Game 12 – Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 10 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 11
Game 13 (if necessary) – Same two teams from Game 11 9 a.m.
Game 14 (if necessary) – Same two teams from Game 12 11 a.m.
Game 15 – SEC Tournament Championship (FOX SS) 12:30 p.m.