BATON ROUGE — The third-ranked LSU softball team travels to Hattiesburg, Miss., for a non-conference game against Southern Miss on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.
Having won 17 of their last 18 games, the Tigers (22-4) swept a pair of games against the Lady Eagles (11-12) in the Purple & Gold Challenge at Tiger Park during that streak.
“We played very well as a team when we beat Southern Miss at home last month,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “They have been playing much better and this time we are playing them at their place. We will have to be prepared for them to play us very tough. We hit the ball well and took advantage of our opportunities the last time we played and we will have to do that again in order to be successful.”
LSU defeated Southern Miss, 19-1 in five innings, in the first meeting as Stephanie Hill went 3-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored. Five other Tigers also recorded multiple-hit performances, including a double and a home run by Lauren Delahoussaye.
The pair met again in the Purple & Gold Challenge championship game a day later. LSU against run-ruled the Lady Eagles, taking a 13-2 victory in six innings. Delahoussaye and Sara Fitzgerald each went 3-for-4 for the game as Fitzgerald recorded a pair of doubles and Delahoussaye had one. For the game, the Tigers recorded seven extra-base hits, including three doubles, a triple and three home runs as a total of seven LSU players had multiple-hit performances.
Freshman Emily Turner earned both victories in the circle for the Tigers. In the first game, she allowed one run on seven hits with a walk and five strikeouts. In the rematch, she allowed two unearned runs on five hits with five strikeouts.
Hill continues to lead LSU at the plate with a .427 batting average, which ranks fifth in the Southeastern Conference. In addition, the sophomore from Harahan, La., ranks in the top 10 in the league in slugging percentage, on base percentage, hits, runs batted in, doubles, home runs and total bases.
Leslie Klein leads the team in home runs with seven, which ranks second in the SEC and is just five shy of the Tiger single-season record. She also leads the team in hits, RBIs, runs scored, triples and total bases.
Southern Miss brings a five-game win streak into the contest. The Lady Eagles posted a three-game sweep over Conference USA rival St. Louis and a pair of wins over Alabama State last week.
Heather Bell leads Southern Miss with a .372 average, while Ashley Davis is second at .328 and leads the team with 14 RBIs. Sarah Boyd has a team-best four home runs, while Ashley Brenan has recorded nine doubles.
Since LSU reinstated softball in 1997, the Tigers are 12-4 all-time against Southern Miss, including a 9-3 record at Tiger Park. LSU has now won 10 consecutive games over the Lady Eagles, dating back to the 2001. For her career, Yvette Girouard is 37-3 all-time against Southern Miss, including a perfect 10-0 record as a Tiger.
LSU returns to SEC action this weekend at home against nationally ranked South Carolina. LSU will host the 14th-ranked Gamecocks in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon. The series will conclude with a single game on Sunday beginning at noon.