BATON ROUGE — In front of the largest regular-season attendance in LSU softball history, the fifth-ranked Tigers split a Southeastern Conference doubleheader with No. 7 Georgia, run-ruling the Bulldogs, 10-2 in six innings in the first game, before falling 6-2 in game two at Tiger Park on Saturday afternoon.
The crowd of 1,238 saw LSU (27-6, 7-3 SEC) pound out 10 runs on 11 hits in the first game, including four doubles and a pair of home runs, as the Tigers handed Georgia (26-6, 5-2 SEC) its first run-rule loss since an 8-0 defeat in five innings to the Tigers on March 31, 2001. In the second game, the Bulldogs came out and put up six runs on 11 hits, while LSU could counter with only two runs on five hits.
“We came out smoking,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We obviously hit the ball well and did what we needed to do. (Kristin) Schmidt pitched very well. Game one was phenomenal. Game two was a different story. Georgia knew that they had to come roaring back. We’ve got to help ourselves out. We’ve got to pitch better, we’ve got to play better defense and we’ve got to have primetime hitting and we had none of that in the second game.”
The pair will meet in the rubber match on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Tiger Park. The game will be broadcast on Cox Sports Television in Baton Rouge on cable channel 37. The LSU Sports Network will also carry the game on 107.3 FM and the internet at LSUsports.net.
“It’s going to be a battle tomorrow and we are going to have to make the adjustments at the plate,” said Girouard. “That will be the key.”
In the first game, Georgia jumped out early with two runs in the top of the first inning. With one out, Katie Lewis reached on an error by Stephanie Hill at first base. On a single up the middle by Kim Wendland, Lewis moved to second. With two outs, Courtney Knight doubled to center field, scoring Lewis and Wendland.
The Tigers rebounded to take the lead with three runs in the home half of the inning. LaDonia Hughes, who went 3-for-4 in the game, led off with a single to right center, then stole second. With one out, Leslie Klein doubled down the right field line, scoring Hughes from second. With two outs Hill nailed a two-run home run to left center, her SEC-leading eighth of the season.
In the bottom of the third, LSU added a run. Hughes led off with a single through the left side. With two outs, Lauren Delahoussaye doubled to left center, scoring Hughes from first.
The Tigers extended their lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Sara Fitzgerald singled through the left side. She moved to second on a wild pitch. Camille Harris then hit her fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot to left center.
LSU ended the game in the bottom of the sixth with four runs. With two outs and Lauren Uhle on third, Harris drew a walk. Hughes then singled to center field to score Uhle from third and move Harris to second. On a double steal, Harris went to third and Hughes moved to second. Lauren Castle walked to load the bases before Klein doubled to left center, scoring Harris and Hughes to end the game.
Schmidt earned the complete-game victory to improve to 16-3 on the season. In six innings, she allowed two runs, both unearned, on six hits with nine strikeouts.
Michelle Green took the loss to fall to 13-3 on the year. In five and two-thirds innings, she allowed 10 runs on 11 hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
In the second game, the Bulldogs came out and scored early once again.
Georgia took the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Nicole Barber led off with a single to right field. After stealing second, she scored on a single to left center by Lewis.
The Bulldogs extended their lead to 2-0 in the top of the third. After Barber led off with a walk, she made the Tigers pay once again. After she stole second, she moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. A sacrifice fly to left field by Kim Wendland scored Barber from third.
Georgia put up two more runs in the top of the fourth. With one outs, Casi Carroll singled to center field. With two outs, Julie Milner singled to left field, moving Carroll to second. A Shannon McKeon single loaded the bases before Barber singled to left field, scoring Carroll and Milner.
In the bottom of the inning, the Tigers got on the board. Castle led off with a double to left field. Klein then reached on a fielder’s choice, as a play on Castle coming off the bag at second was not in time. With two outs and Delahoussaye at second and Hill at first after a pair of fielder’s choices, Julie Wiese knocked an RBI single to right center.
On a controversial call in the top of the sixth inning, Georgia extended its lead to 6-1. With one out and Ashley Godfrey at first on an error, McKeon hit a home run down the left field line. The ball appeared to be foul, but was ruled fair by the home plate umpire, adding two runs to the Bulldog lead.
LSU got one back in the bottom of the sixth, but could do no more. Castle led off with a single up the middle. She moved to second on an infield groundout by Klein. A double to left center by Delahoussaye scored Castle from second to cut the lead to 6-2, but that would be how the game ended.
Carroll earned the complete-game win for Georgia to improve to 5-1 on the year. She allowed two runs on five hits with three strikeouts.
Emily Turner took the complete-game loss for the Tigers to fall to 10-3 overall. She allowed six runs, five earned, on 11 hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
Georgia 200 000 – 2 6 1
LSU 301 204 – 10 11 3
Green and McKeon. Schmidt and Danos. W – Schmidt (16-2). L – Green (13-3). HR – Hill, Harris. T – 2:16.
Georgia 101 202 0 – 6 11 0
LSU 000 101 0 – 2 5 1
Carroll and McKeon. Turner and Danos. W – Carroll (5-1). L – Turner (10-3). HR – McKeon. T – 1:40. A – 1,238.