BATON ROUGE — A four-run fifth inning led the second-ranked LSU softball team to a 5-3 win over Southern Miss on Wednesday night at Tiger Park.
With the win, the Tigers extend their winning streak to 16 games and improve to 43-7 overall. The Lady Eagles fell to 24-22 overall and 0-4 against LSU this season.
After pounding out 40 runs on 45 hits in the first three meetings against the Southern Miss, the LSU bats had trouble getting it going in the fourth meeting. Through the first four innings, the Tigers managed only one run on four hits before pounding out four runs on four hits in the fifth.
“I just don’t think we were very disciplined at the plate,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “Not to take anything away from their pitcher, although she did a very good job with us, but we didn’t seem to be very focused at the plate. I think we were very excited to be home. I think they were ready to play, but I think they kind of lost their minds some times up there offensively.”
“We had had 45 hits against them in the previous three games and sooner or later you are going to run into that spot where you are not.”
Conversely, the Lady Eagles had scored just three runs on 15 hits in the previous three meetings with LSU. Southern Miss put up three runs on 11 hits against the Tigers in pair’s final meeting of the season.
Trailing 5-1 in the top of the seventh inning, the Lady Eagles mounted a rally, scoring a pair of unearned runs before bringing the tying run to the plate. LSU All-American Kristin Schmidt came on in relief to record the final out of the game and earn her second save of the season.
“I just kept thinking I don’t want to go into extra innings,” said Girouard. “That’s the last thing this team needs is to go extra innings. In the back of my mind I just didn’t want this team to have to go into extra innings with the series coming up.
“We found a way to win and I think the short game is what found it for us, our speed and our short game.”
Emily Turner started and earned the win for the Tigers to improve to 16-3 on the season. She allowed three runs, one earned, on 11 hits with a walk and five strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings. Schmidt came in to record the final out by way of the strikeout.
Southern Miss took the early lead on the Tigers, only the 20th time in 50 games LSU has not scored first. With one out in the top of the first inning, Jessica Huerta hit a home run to give the Lady Eagles the 1-0 lead.
After having difficulty at the plate, the Tigers finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning. Stephanie Hill reached on a one out walk. She advanced to second on a wild pitch before Leigh Ann Danos knocked her in on a single through the right side to tie the game.
LSU broke the game open with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Sara Fitzgerald led off with a single through the left side. She advanced to second on a single to center field by Camille Harris. On a bunt attempt by LaDonia Hughes, Fitzgerald moved to third and scored on a throwing error by the catcher.
Lauren Castle then loaded the bases on a bunt base hit. A wild pitch moved Castle to second, Hughes to third and scored Harris. With two outs, Lauren Delahoussaye singled through the left side, scoring Hughes and Castle to give the Tigers the 5-1 advantage.
Southern Miss refused to go quietly in the seventh. Huerta reached on a fielding error by Delahoussaye to lead off the inning. With two outs, Ariel Jenkins doubled to left field, scoring Huerta from first. A double by Ashley Davis scored Jenkins to bring the Lady Eagles to within two with the tying run at the plate. Schmidt came on in relief and struck out Ashley Brenan to end the game.
Jessica Saunier started and took the loss for Southern Miss to fall to 2-6 on the year. She allowed five runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings. Danielle Wymer came on in relief in the fifth and was perfect over the final inning and a third with one strikeout.
LSU returns to Southeastern Conference action this weekend as it hosts Auburn in a three-game series. The doubleheader scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday has been pushed back to a 3 p.m. start time to avoid a conflict with the football spring game. The series finale is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
All three games can be heard on the LSU Sports Network in Baton Rouge on Country Legends, WJNH 107.3 FM or on the internet at www.LSUsports.net. Sunday’s game will also be televised on Cox Sports Television in Baton Rouge on cable channel 37.
Southern Miss 100 000 2 – 3 11 1
LSU 000 140 x 5 7 3
Saunier, Wymer (5) and Logan. Turner, Schmidt (7) and Danos. W – Turner (16-3). L – Saunier (2-6). S – Schmidt (2).
HR – Huerta. T – 1:56. A – 724.