BATON ROUGE — The fourth-ranked LSU softball team split a pair of marathon games with No. 15 South Carolina, winning the first game, 1-0 in 10 innings, before falling, 6-4 in nine innings in game two.
Both games of the doubleheader lasted over two hours and 40 minutes as the Tigers moved to 24-5 overall and 5-2 in Southeastern Conference action. The Gamecocks moved to 14-4 on the year and 3-2 in league play with the split.
Sara Fitzgerald scored on an RBI fielder’s choice by Lauren Castle in the bottom of the 10th inning to break a scoreless time and give the Tigers the game-winning run in the first game.
In the second game, the Tigers fought back twice to tie the game and send it to extra innings. LSU trailed 3-0 going into the bottom of the fifth before eventually tying the game in the sixth. The Gamecocks took the 4-3 lead in the seventh, but the Tigers came back to tie the game in the bottom of the inning.
With South Carolina leading 6-4 in the bottom of the ninth, LSU had the tying runs in scoring position and the go-ahead run at the plate with one out before a game-ending double play dashed the Tigers comeback hopes.
“I loved the way we didn’t quit in the second game,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We had a chance to win and we hit the ball hard the entire game. We pulled the first game out in the end, but the second game just seemed to slip away.”
Kristin Schmidt struck out a season-high 15 batters, two shy of her career high, to earn the win. She scattered just two hits and three walks in the complete-game 10-inning shutout, her fifth of the season.
“That was as good as I’ve seen Kristin pitch this year,” said Girouard.
In the second game, she came on in relief in the eighth inning. She took the loss after allowing two untimely hits, a bloop single and a two-run home run in the ninth inning that proved to be the game winner. In two innings, she allowed two runs on two hits with three strikeouts, moving to 14-3 on the year.
For the two games, the Tigers committed five errors, three in the first and two in the second. The three errors tied the season high by an LSU team that had only committed four errors in its previous five games.
“I was disappointed in our defense today,” said Girouard. “We had two magnificent days of practice defensively and today we just had our heads down.”
In the top of the first inning of game one, South Carolina’s Nancy Crane reached on a fielding error by Julie Wiese at third to start the game. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Samantha Jennings. A walk to Meghan Cornett put runners on first and second before Kristin Schmidt got Ashley Smith and Amber Curtis to strike out to end the inning.
With one out in the bottom of the inning, Castle drew a walk. With two outs, she advanced to third on a single to right center field by Lauren Delahoussaye, but Stephanie Hill struck out to end the threat.
Chrissy Schoonmaker reached on a two-base throwing error by Schmidt with one out in the top of the second. Kristin Hall then flew out to center field and before Schmidt struck out Melissa Sandel to end the inning.
Julie Wiese led off the Tiger half of the second inning with a walk. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Leigh Ann Danos. LSU could not take advantage, however, as Fitzgerald popped up to Hall at second base and Camille Harris struck out.
In the bottom of the third, the Tigers once again had a runner in scoring position. LaDonia Hughes was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, but was thrown out attempting to steal second. That would prove to be untimely as Leslie Klein nailed a double down the left field line with one out. Delahoussaye then grounded out to third to end the inning.
For the fourth consecutive inning, LSU was in scoring position as Stephanie Hill led off with a single up the middle. She advanced to second on a sacrifice by Julie Wiese, but was stranded there as Danos fouled out to third base and Fitzgerald grounded out to the pitcher.
The best opportunity for LSU came in the bottom of the fifth innings. With one out, Hughes doubled down the left field line. She advanced to third as Castle singled to left and advanced to second on the throw. The Tigers, however, could not push a run across as Klein struck out swinging and Delahoussaye popped out to the shortstop.
South Carolina broke up the no-hitter in the top of the sixth inning as Amber Curtis singled to left center with one out. Schmidt then got Hughes and Schoonmaker to strike out to end the inning, hitting double-figure strikeouts for the game.
In the top of the 10th, with the international tie breaker rule in effect, the Gamecocks had their first runner at their for the game. As Hall began the inning at second, she moved to third on an infield ground out by Crane with one out. Schmidt then struck out Jennings to end the inning.
As the Tigers began the bottom half of the inning with Fitzgerald on second, Harris drew a walk to put runners on first and second. LSU loaded the bases on a bunt base hit by Hughes. Castle’s fielder’s choice to second base then scored Fitzgerald from third for the game-winning run.
Stacey Johnson took the loss, her first of the season, to fall to 7-1 on the year. She allowed one unearned run on seven hits with four walks and nine strikeouts.
In the second game, South Carolina struck early, putting up a run in the top of the first inning. Nancy Crane reached on an error by Delahoussaye at shortstop to lead off the game. With two outs, she stole second then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Crane then scored on an infield single by Ashley Smith for the 1-0 lead.
The Gamecocks extended their lead in the top of the third inning. Crane reached on the two-base error by Wiese at third base. She then scored on a home run by Jennings to left field to run the South Carolina advantage to 3-0.
The Tigers got into position to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning. Fitzgerald doubled to left center to lead off the inning. She moved to second to third on single to right field by Harris. After Harris stole second, LSU had a pair of runners in scoring position and the tying run at the plate. With two outs, Klein walked to load the bases, but Delahoussaye grounded out to third base to end the inning and the scoring threat.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Tigers got two runs back. Harris led off the inning with a first pitch monster home run to left field that cleared the batting cages and hit the street. With one out, Castle hit the second LSU home run of the inning, clearing the right center field wall at the 220 mark to cut the South Carolina lead to 3-2.
Wiese tied the game for the Tigers in the bottom of the sixth inning. The senior drove a leadoff home run off the left field foul pole to knot the game at three all.
The Gamecocks retook the lead in the top of the seventh inning as Jennings hit her second home run of the game. With one out, she hit the scoreboard in left center field to give South Carolina the 4-3 lead.
Trailing by one in the bottom of the seventh, Klein led off with a single up the middle. On a sacrifice bunt attempt by Delahoussaye, the Gamecocks failed to get Klein going to second to put runners at first and second. The pair moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Klein scored as Wiese reached on an error by the shortstop to tie the game and put runners at the corners.
On a ground ball to second by Danos, Hall threw home and Smith made the play at the plate to get Delahoussaye. With Wiese at second and Danos at first, Fitzgerald reached on a throwing error by the shortstop and Wiese was caught in a rundown at the plate trying to score from second to send the game to extra innings.
With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Jennings hit a bloop single down the left field line. Cornett then hit a home run to left field to take the 6-4 lead.
Emily Turner started for the Tigers and threw seven innings. She allowed four runs, two earned, on seven hits with a walk and a career-high 10 strikeouts.
“Emily was really a tough-luck loser today,” said Girouard. “She looked as good as I’ve seen her look, but she just made two bad pitches.”
Melanie Henkes started for South Carolina and went five and a third innings before being relieved. She allowed three runs on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
After taking the loss in the first game, Johnson came back to earn the victory in game two. She allowed one run on three hits in two and a two-thirds innings with a strikeout to move to 8-1 on the year.
The three-game series will conclude with a single game on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. The game time was moved ahead an hour from the scheduled time.
“We have got to be fired up to come out here tomorrow,” said Girouard. “We have to be ready to take the series.”
The Tigers will then travel to Shreveport, La., for a non-conference game against Centenary. LSU defeated the Ladies, 9-0 in five innings, in the season opener at Tiger Park.
South Carolina 000 000 000 0 – 0 2 0
LSU 000 000 000 1 – 1 7 3
Johnson and Smith. Schmidt and Danos. W – Schmidt (14-2). L – Johnson (7-1). T – 2:45.
South Carolina 102 000 102 – 6 9 2
LSU 000 021 100 – 4 12 2
Henkes, Johnson (6) and Smith. Turner, Schmidt (8) and Danos. W – Johnson (8-1). L – Schmidt (14-3). HR – Jennings 2, Cornett, Castle, Wiese, Harris. T – 2:42. A – 646.