BATON ROUGE — The LSU softball alumni, including four of the Tigers’ eight former All-Americans, defeated the 2005 squad, 6-5, in a come-from-behind effort on Sunday afternoon at Tiger Park.
A two-RBI single by former LSU second baseman Sara Fitzgerald in the top of the seventh inning proved to be the game winner. 2002 All-American Trena Peel scored three of the alumni’s runs as she went 4-for-4 with a home run and a double in the game.
Facing former two-time All-American and 2004 Women’s College World Series MVP Kristin Schmidt, the current Tiger squad recorded five runs on six hits, capitalizing on six errors by the alumni for three of their five runs. Right fielder Lauren Castle went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while four other players each posted one hit each.
Schmidt earned the complete-game win for the alumni, allowing five runs, two earned, on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.
Freshman Tiffany Garcia took the loss for LSU in relief. She allowed three runs on three hits with a walk in an inning of work. Sophomore Emily Turner started and threw three innings for LSU, allowing three runs, one earned, on four hits with three strikeouts. Freshman Megan Jolly came on in relief and threw three shutout innings, allowing three hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
The alumni took the early lead in the top of the first inning. After a leadoff single by Peel, on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Jennie Reeves, Peel scored from first on a throwing error by Andrea Smith from shortstop.
In the top of the third, the alumni added a pair more as Peel hit a solo home run to left field with two outs. After Reeves reached on an error when Smith and left fielder Quinlan Duhon collided, a single by Ashlee Ducote-Eddy scored Reeves from first.
Trailing 3-0 in the fourth inning, junior Camille Harris broke up a perfect game by alumni pitcher Kristin Schmidt. After a trio of singles, LSU got on the board on a fielding error by April Janzen at shortstop that allowed Harris to score from third.
With the bases loaded, a pair of errors off a pick off play at third allowed Castle and Vanessa Soto to score and sent Stephanie Hill to third. An infield groundout by Lauren Delahoussaye scored Hill from third to give the current team its first lead of the game.
The 2005 squad added to its lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Killian Roessner reached on a throwing error by Eddy from third and advanced to second. With Dee Dee Henderson running for Roessner, she stole third as Camille Harris reached on a passed ball off a third strike. With runners at the corners, Henderson scored on a throwing error by the catcher on a throw down to third to give the current team a 5-3 lead.
In the top of the seventh inning, Christy Connor led off with a single. With Megann Steege running for Connor at first, Peel doubled to center field, scoring Steege to cut the lead to one. With one out, Eddy walked to put runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt by April Janzen moved the pair to second and third before the single by Fitzgerald scored both runs to give the alumni the lead.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the current Tigers went down in order on a fly out to left field, an infield ground out and a pop out to third base.
LSU opens the 2005 season on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas at the UNLV Desert Classic against UCF and No. 11 Washington. The Tigers will conclude tournament play against No. 22 Illinois and Louisville, which is receiving votes in the poll. LSU will begin play at home on Feb. 18 in the Tiger Classic, facing Grambling, Indiana and Southern in the three-day event.