BATON ROUGE — In a game shortened to five innings by rain, the third-ranked LSU softball team defeated No. 20 Florida, 4-0, to clinch the Southeastern Conference Championship on Saturday afternoon at Tiger Park.
The Tigers (45-8, 21-5 SEC) won their fifth SEC title in six seasons, the most of any school in the league. After winning conference championships from 1999-2002, LSU fell just short of the SEC title a year ago. LSU clinched the Western Division title with a win over nationally ranked Auburn a week ago. Florida fell to 39-15 overall and 15-12 in the SEC.
“This is a great accomplishment this group of players,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “They went out there today with a never say die attitude and we were able to get the win in. We hope this is just a step for this team because they aren’t satisfied with just being the SEC champions, they want more, and we have more goals left to achieve.”
As play was about to begin in the bottom of the fifth inning with LSU leading 4-0, the game was halted as a thunderstorm hit the field. With hard rain and lightening in the area, the game was called.
The remaining two games of the series will be played on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. The Tigers will honor their four seniors in a ceremony between the two games. Cox Sports Television will broadcast the first game tape delayed beginning at noon.
Kristin Schmidt earned the win to improve to 27-5 on the season. In her 10th complete-game shutout of the season, she allowed four hits with a walk, while striking out seven.
A big four-run second inning proved to be the game winner for LSU as Lauren Castle knocked in three runs on a double to center field. With one out and Lauren Uhle on second, pinch running for Leigh Ann Danos after she singled and moved to second on the play, Sara Fitzgerald singled to send Uhle to third. A single by Camille Harris then scored Uhle to give the Tigers the 1-0 lead.
A single by LaDonia Hughes then loaded the bases before Castle nailed the first pitch of her at bat off the center field wall. On the play, Fitzgerald scored from third, Harris beat out a tag at home just ahead of Hughes, who made an acrobatic leap over the catcher to avoid a tag at the plate to score the fourth run of the inning.
Florida had just two runners in scoring position in the game, and now player advance to third. In the top of the fifth, the Gators mounted their biggest threat as Michelle Diaz singled with one out. She advanced to second on a single by Shelley Stevens. A fielder’s choice by Jenilee Garner caught Diaz going to third for the second out before Schmidt retired Mylin Prieto for what proved to be the final out of the game.
Amanda Knowles started and took the loss for Florida to fall to 3-3 on the season. She allowed three runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout in an inning and a third. Amanda Moore came on in relief and allowed one run on three hits with two walks and a strikeout in two and two-thirds innings.
LSU will have next weekend off before traveling to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the SEC Tournament as the top seed. The Tigers will take on eighth-seeded South Carolina in the first game. The game time will be determined after play is completed this weekend.