COLUMBUS, Ga. — All-American pitcher Kristin Schmidt led the 12th-ranked LSU softball team to a 4-3 win over Florida State in the NFCA Leadoff Classic championship game after the Tigers defeated No. 6 Georgia, 5-2, in the semifinal, on Sunday afternoon in the South Commons Stadium and Complex.
With the pair of wins, the Tigers (18-3) run their winning streak to 13-straight games with a perfect 6-0 record in the tournament. Georgia dropped to 12-4 on the season and completed the tournament at 3-2. Florida State fell to 17-2 on the year and 5-1 in the tournament.
As one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country, the NFCA Leadoff Classic winner from six of the tournament’s seven years advanced to the Women’s College World Series at the conclusion of the season. This was the first NFCA Leadoff Classic win for the Tigers, who ran their tournament record to 18-8 all-time.
“This was a great day for the Tigers that concluded a great tournament for LSU,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “I loved the way this team fought back from adversity in both games today showed their resilience. We got the timely hits when we needed them and both Kristin and Emily pitched well.
“Hopefully this performance can carry us into the SEC play later this week. Our team just seems to be clicking at the right time and it’s fun to play softball when that happens.”
Schmidt was named the tournament Most Valuable Player with a 4-0 record, including wins over No. 3 California, No. 4 Washington and No. 10 Florida State. She recorded 30 strikeouts in 28 innings of work with a 1.50 earned run average.
Stephanie Hill and Lauren Castle were also named to the all-tournament team for the Tigers. Castle hit .435 in six games with a home run, a double, six runs scored and six RBIs. Hill hit .350 for the Tigers with two home runs, two runs scored and four RBIs.
An RBI double by Castle in the fifth inning proved to be game winner for LSU. Schmidt pitched her way out of trouble in the sixth and got the Seminoles out in order in the seventh for the win.
Florida State got on the board first in the game. With one out in the bottom of the second inning, Lesley Palmer recorded an infield single. With two outs, Palmer advanced to second on a Beth Wade single to right field. On a single to left field by Carly Brieske, Palmer scored from second for the 1-0 Seminole lead.
The Tigers came right back to take the lead in the top of the third inning. With one out, Camille Harris drew a walk and then stole second. With two outs, she scored on a single to left field by Lauren Castle as Castle went to second on the throw. A single through the left side by Leslie Klein scored Castle from second for the 2-1 LSU advantage.
In the top of the fourth, the Tigers stretched their lead to 3-1 as Julie Wiese broke the LSU career home run record with her fifth of the season and 28th of her career. The solo shot to right center field broke the record previously held by Tara Asbill who played for the Tigers from 1997-2000.
Florida State got one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Kim Hoffer singled up the middle. She advanced to second on a passed ball, moved to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a wild pitch to cut the LSU lead to 3-2.
The Tigers got that run back in the top of the fifth. Harris led off with a walk and stole second. She advanced to second as Hughes recorded an infield single. A double down the left field line by Castle scored Harris to once again give LSU the two-run advantage.
The Seminoles got an unearned run in the bottom half of the inning to once again cut the lead to one. With one out, Veronica Wootson recorded a bunt single. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. A throwing error on a ground ball to shortstop allowed Jessica van der Linden to reach and Wooten to score.
The Tigers got out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Kim Hoffer reached on an error at third. She advanced to second on a single by Wade. A single up the middle by Brieske loaded the bases as Hoffer was held at third on the play. Schmidt then struck out Katie Fricke and got Wootson to ground out to third to end the inning.
Florida State did not have a baserunner in the seventh as the Seminoles went down in order to end the game.
Schmidt earned the complete game win for the Tigers to improve to 10-2 on the year. She allowed three runs, one earned, on 10 hits with 10 strikeouts, her fifth double-figure strikeout performance of the season.
Casey Hunter took the loss Florida State drop to 8-1 on the year. She allowed four runs on six hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts.
In the semifinal game against Georgia, a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning by Kristen Hobbs scored Lauren Delahoussaye, who reached on a double, to tie the game and send it into extra inning. The Tigers got three runs in the top of the eighth on a Bulldog error and a double by Klein to take the win.
Georgia got the first scoring opportunity of the game in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, Kim Wendland recorded an infield single. Michelle Green then singled up the middle. A passed ball sent the pair to second and third. A walk to Shannon McKeon loaded the bases, before Amber Knight grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
The Bulldogs got on the board first in the bottom of the second. With one out, Julie Milner hit her first home run of the season to center field for the 1-0 Georgia lead.
The Tigers got their first scoring opportunity in the top of the fourth inning. LaDonia Hughes led off with a single through the right side. With two outs, Stephanie Hill drew a walk to move Hughes to second. Sara Fitzgerald then popped out to end the inning.
In the top of the fifth, LSU tied the game as Delahoussaye led off the inning with a home run to left field. Three walks also gave the Tigers a scoring opportunity in the inning, but LSU could not come up with the timely hit as the inning ended tied at one. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Georgia loaded the bases with two outs. Ashley Godfrey drew a leadoff walk. With two outs, Emily Turner intentionally walked Nicole Barber. An infield single by Katie Lewis loaded the bases before Turner walked Wendland that sent Godfrey home for the 2-1 Bulldog lead.
Delahoussaye led off the top of the seventh with a double down the right field line. She advanced to third on an infield groundout by Julie Wiese. A sacrifice fly to right field by Hobbs scored Delahoussaye from third to tie the game.
With the international tie-breaker rule in effect, Harris began the eighth inning on second base. On a sacrifice attempt by Hughes, the second baseman overthrew first, allowing Harris to score and Hughes to move to second. She moved to third on a single by Castle. Klein then doubled to left center to score both Hughes and Castle to run the LSU lead to 5-3 going into the bottom of the eighth.
Nicole Barber began the inning on second for Georgia. Lewis then reached on an infield single that kept Barber at second. Green then grounded into a double play to end the game.
Turner threw a complete-game to earn the victory and improve to 7-1 on the season. She allowed two runs on nine hits with seven walks and six strikeouts in eight innings.
Kasi Carroll took the loss in relief for Georgia. She came on in the fifth and allowed four runs, two earned, on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts in four innings. Katie Griffith started and allowed one run on three hits with four walks and four strikeouts in four innings of work.
After the NFCA Leadoff Classic, LSU returns home to open SEC play against Mississippi State. The Tigers open with a doubleheader against the Bulldogs on Wednesday at 5 p.m. The series concludes with a single game on Thursday at 4 p.m. The games will be broadcast on the radio on the LSU Sports Network, Jam’n 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge and on the internet at LSUsports.net.
LSU 000 010 13 – 5 6 2
Georgia 000 001 00 – 2 9 1
Turner and Danos, Hobbs. Griffith, Carroll (5) and McKeon, Dyer. W – Turner (7-1). L – Carroll (2-1). HR – Delahoussaye, Milner. T – 2:42.
LSU 002 110 0 – 4 6 2
Florida State 010 110 0 – 3 10 0
Schmidt and Hobbs. Hunter and Vasquez. W – Schmidt (10-2). L – Hunter (8-1). HR – Wiese. T – 2:35.