PLANT CITY, Fla. — An RBI single by Lauren Delahoussaye in the top of the fifth gave the 12th-ranked LSU softball team the only run it would need as the Tigers defeated No. 20 Florida, 1-0, in the SEC Tournament on Saturday night at Plant City Stadium.
LSU (48-15) will now face the Gators again at 9 a.m. CT for the right to advance to the tournament championship game and take on Alabama at 12:30 p.m. CT. Florida fell to 40-21 on the year after losing its first game in the tournament.
“We live to play another day,” said Girouard. “I thought we played really well today. I thought Kristin (Schmidt) was outstanding tonight. We played good defense. I think our kids just played their hearts out and hopefully we will do the same tomorrow.”
“We played really bad against Florida last weekend, not to take anything away from Florida because I think they did everything right, but we didn’t play very well. Tonight was nice because I think this was the true Tiger team. “
After going hitless through four innings, the Tigers used an infield single by Julie Wiese and two walks to load the bases with two outs in the fifth.
With two strikeouts, Delahoussaye, pinch hitting for LaDonia Hughes, fouled off four pitches before driving a rocket to shortstop that Jackie Marchetta was able to knock down. After coming up with the ball, Marchetta made a play on Blair Smith advancing to third, but came up just late, allowing Wiese to score from third for the only run of the game.
“We know that she can drive the ball and hit the ball hard,” Girouard said of the decision to pinch hit Delahoussaye for Hughes. “It’s pretty tough for LaDonia (Hughes) with the infield drawn in like that to try to find the hole sometimes, especially in a force situation. Lauren just has a kind of pop to her bat and we just wanted her to drive the ball. It was an unbelievable battle and when she fouled off that change up I thought that was the key.”
In LSU’s 1-0 win over Tennessee in the first game of the SEC Tournament, Delahoussaye also came up with the game-winning pinch-hit RBI. She is now 2-for-3 in the tournament with the Tiger’s two runs batted in.
Junior Kristin Schmidt allowed just one hit as she went the distance for LSU, improving to 31-20. The Houston native faced just three over the minimum, giving up a walk and allowing a batter to reach on a wild pitch after a strikeout. She also recorded her ninth double-figure strikeout performance of the season with 11 K’s in the game.
The shutout was also her second of the tournament and the 15th for the season. She is now one away from moving into second place in LSU single-season history.
Once again the Tiger defense was stellar as Megann Steege and LaDonia Hughes made several outstanding plays in the outfield, combining for six putouts in the game. LSU also turned its fourth double play of the day after three in the earlier game against South Carolina.
The Tigers had a scoring opportunity in the top of the fourth inning. After Sara Fitzgerald drew a leadoff walk. She advanced to second on sacrifice bunt by Christy Connor. With one out, Alicia Owen hit a fly ball to center field.
Fitzgerald tagged from second on the play and advanced to second. After Jenilee Garner held onto the ball in center field, Fitzgerald rounded third and attempted to score on the play, but was thrown out at home.
“Once again we hit the ball really hard,” said Girouard. “I don’t think Alicia Owen can hit the ball any harder and if Sara Fitzgerald doesn’t have to hesitate about having to tag or not, we score at home.”
LSU broke up the no-hitter and took the lead in the top of the fifth on an infield single by Wiese with one out. A pair of walks to Smith and Steege loaded the bases. With two outs, Delahoussaye knocked in the game-winning run on the infield single.
After allowing Marchetta to reach on the wild pitch after the strikeout in the bottom of the third, Schmidt was perfect the remainder of the game, retiring the final 13 batters of the game, including a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh.
Amanda Moore took the loss for the Gators in relief to drop to 13-6. She allowed the one run on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in three innings. Jenny Gladding started and did not allow a hit in three innings.
She gave up three walks and struck out one before being relived in the top of the fifth.
2003 Southeastern Conference Tournament
Plant City Stadium
Plant City, Fla.
May 7-11, 2003
Thursday, May 8
Game 1 — (3) LSU def. (6) Tennessee, 1-0 (9)
Game 2 — (2) Alabama def. (7) Auburn, 4-0
Game 3 — (5) Florida def. (4) South Carolina, 6-2
Game 4 — (1) Georgia def. (8) Mississippi State, 3-0
Friday, May 9
Game 5 — (6) Tennessee def. (7) Auburn, 4-3 (9) (Auburn eliminated)
Game 6 — (4) South Carolina def. (8) Mississippi State, 2-1(Mississippi State eliminated)
Game 7 — (2) Alabama def. (3) LSU, 3-1
Game 8 — (5) Florida def. (1) Georgia, 1-0
Saturday, May 10
Game 9 — (6) Tennessee def. (1) Georgia, 5-3 (8) (Georgia eliminated)
Game 10 — (3) LSU def. (4) South Carolina, 5-1 (South Carolina eliminated)
Game 11 — (2) Alabama def. (6) Tennessee, 3-2 (8)(Tennessee eliminated)
Game 12 — (3) LSU def. (5) Florida, 1-0
Sunday, May 11
Game 13 (if necessary) — N/A
Game 14 (5) Florida vs. (3) LSU, 9 a.m. (loser eliminated)
Game 15 – (2) Alabama vs. Winner of Game 14 (FOX SS) 12:30 p.m.