TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The fifth-ranked LSU softball team completed its first series sweep of Alabama in Tuscaloosa in school history with a 10-7 win over the Crimson Tide on Sunday afternoon at the Alabama Softball Complex.
With the third sweep of Alabama overall and first in Tuscaloosa, the Tigers improved to 31-7 on the season and 10-4 in Southeastern Conference play. The Crimson Tide dropped to 28-9 on the year and 9-6 in league play, having lost four-straight conference games.
After a first inning that saw LSU come up empty with the bases loaded, neither team was able to get anything going until the fourth inning. That is when the bats came alive for both teams.
The Tigers put up two runs in the fourth, four in the fifth and four in the sixth. The Crimson Tide put up one in the fourth, four in the fifth and two in the sixth. A three-run home run by Stephanie Hill in the top of the sixth proved to be the difference in the game for LSU.
“It was a slugfest,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “It was almost like a slowpitch game. I think you saw two pitchers that at one point almost ran out of gas and it came down to who was going to endure and who was going to keep the ball in the park. What I loved about our team was that we just kept answering and that’s what we’ve done for the majority of the season. We were so locked in this weekend and that is what it is going to take to accomplish goals.”
Kristin Schmidt earned the complete-game win for the Tigers to improve to 18-4 on the season. She allowed seven runs, six earned on 12 hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
“You’ve got to win on guts sometimes and that’s the bottom line when it came to this game,” Girouard said about Schmidt’s performance.
Stephane VanBrakle took the complete-game loss for Alabama to fall to 9-5 on the season. She allowed a season-high 10 runs on 12 hits with four walks with three strikeouts.
The Tigers mounted the first threat of the game, loading the bases in the top of the first with one out, but LSU could not push a run across. Hill fouled out to the first baseman and Julie Wiese popped out to the shortstop to end the threat.
After the first inning, VanBrakle recorded nine consecutive outs against the Tigers. With one out in the top of the fourth, Hill broke through against her with a single up the middle.
With a 2-1 count on Julie Wiese, she fouled a ball off her ankle and had to be removed from the game. Emily Turner inherited the 2-2 count and drew a walk to send Lauren Uhle, pinch running for Hill, to second.
A single to right field by Leigh Ann Danos scored Uhle from second and sent Turner to third. With two outs, Camille Harris knocked a ball down the left field line that ricocheted off of third base allowing Turner to score for the 2-0 LSU lead.
After Schmidt had recorded eight consecutive outs, Angela Johnson reached on an error by Delahoussaye to lead off the bottom of the fourth. Jackie Wilkins then singled to left field to send Johnson to second. Emily Currie then came in to pinch run for Wilkins at first.
On a throw down to second on a pick off attempt, the ball got away from Delahoussaye and sailed into center field. Johnson attempted to score from second on the play and was thrown out at home by LaDonia Hughes. Currie came around from first and attempted to take third on the play, but was caught in a rundown between second and third and was tagged out by Delahoussaye for the second out.
Capper Reed then drew a walk. VanBrakle then singled through the left side to move Reed to second. On a ground ball to shortstop by Staci Ramsey, Delahoussaye bobbled the ball on an attempt to make the play at third, allowing Reed to score, VanBrakle to move to third and put Ramsey on second.
The Tigers then intentionally walked Dominique Accetturo to load the bases. Michelle Menningmann then grounded out to Kristin Schmidt in the circle to end the inning with LSU leading 2-1.
As in the first two games of the series, the Tigers responded with four runs in the top of the fifth inning. Lauren Castle led off with a single down the left field line. After she stole second, Leslie Klein singled up the middle to send Castle to second. Klein then stole second to put runners on second and third. VanBrakle intentionally walked Delahoussaye to load the bases.
With one out and the bases loaded, Klein scored on a wild pitch as Delahoussaye and Hill moved to second and third. Julie Wiese reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Delahoussaye. On the play, the Alabama second baseman overthrew the catcher, allowing Hill to score and send Wiese to second. Wiese moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kristen Hobbs and then scored on an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop for the 6-1 Tiger advantage.
In bottom of the fifth, Ashley Courtney singled to center field with one out. Johnson then hit her fifth home run of the season to left field to cut the LSU lead to 6-3. McClain then singled to left field. With one out and McClain on first, VanBrakle homered to left field to bring the Tide to within one, 6-5.
Not to be outdone, the Tigers responded with four more in the top of the sixth. With one out, Hughes recorded a bunt single. She then stole second and scored on a single through the left side by Castle. On a deep fly ball to left field by Klein, Castle moved to second. Alabama then intentionally walked Delahoussaye for the second time in the game and LSU made them pay for it. Hill came up and nailed a line shot home run to left center, her SEC best 10th of the season and second in two days.
The Crimson Tide got two in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Courtney tripled to left center. She then scored on a double to left center by Johnson. A single to center field by McClain scored Johnson before Schmidt got Reed to foul out to Hill at first to end the inning.
The Tigers then retired Alabama in order to end the game and finish the sweep of the Crimson Tide.
The Tigers will take a break from conference action for a mid-week series with Nicholls State. LSU will travel to Thibodaux for a game against the Lady Colonels on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The following day, the pair will meet again in Baton Rouge in a single game at 6 p.m. in a make-up for a game that was rained out on Feb. 25.
LSU 000 244 0 – 10 12 2
Alabama 000 142 0 – 7 12 1
Schmidt and Hobbs. VanBrakle and Deska. W – Schmidt (18-4). L – VanBrakle (9-5). HR – Hill, Johnson, VanBrakle. T – 2:56. A – 889.