BATON ROUGE — Behind 11 runs in the first inning and a three-hit shutout by Emily Turner, the LSU softball team destroyed Kentucky, 18-0, in five innings to take the Southeastern Conference series on Sunday afternoon at Tiger Park.
With the win, the Tigers improved to 22-15 on the season and 6-12 in SEC play. The Wildcats dropped to 17-31 overall and 3-17 in league action. LSU claimed its second straight conference series, taking 2-of-3 from Kentucky.
With 18 runs on 17 hits and 16 RBIs, the Tigers scored the most runs in an SEC game in school history, while also recording the most RBIs and the second most hits in an SEC game in school history. Nine players posted hits for LSU, including the first career hit for freshman Dee Dee Henderson on her 18th birthday, while seven players recorded multiple-hit games.
Lauren Castle and Lauren Delahoussaye each went 3-for-4 on the day to lead the Tigers at the plate. Castle also stole a base, scored a pair of runs and knocked in one, while Delahoussaye recorded a double, knocked in three and scored three runs. Quinlan Duhon led LSU with four RBIs, one of four Tigers with multiple-RBI games.
“We just let them play and have fun,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard of the win. “It’s been a long time since we’ve felt that. I think they hit a wall and hit the bottom and are trying to climb back up and feel good about themselves.
“We were far more disciplined at the plate,” Girouard continued. “Lauren Delahoussaye was one that made total adjustments. She looked like the old Lauren Delahoussaye.”
After earning a three-hit victory in the first game on Saturday, Turner came back to throw a three-hit shutout on Sunday and claim her third straight victory to improve to 11-9 on the season.
She allowed one single in the first and retired 10 straight before allowing two singles to lead off the fifth. She then struck out the side to close out the game. She finished with 11 strikeouts, her third double-figure strikeout performance of the season.
“Emily threw very well both days,” said Girouard. “She was in total control. She looked strong again. It doesn’t get any easier for us, though. We play an Ole Miss team that is fighting to get into the tournament and from here on out the opponent gets much tougher.”
In the bottom of the first inning, LSU recorded the third-most inning runs in school history with 11. Camille Harris was hit by a pitch to lead it off. A single down the left field line by Castle moved Harris to second. A bunt single by Vanessa Soto loaded the bases before Stephanie Hill drew a walk to score the first run.
After a Kentucky pitching change, Heidi Robin came in to run for Hill at first. Delahoussaye then singled to left field, scoring Castle. A fielding error by the second baseman on a Leslie Klein hit allowed Soto to score, Robin to move to third and moved Delahoussaye to second.
A single to center field by Andrea Smith scored Robin. After the second Wildcat pitching change of the inning, Duhon singled down the right field line, scoring Delahoussaye. With one out, Klein scored on a passed ball, as Smith moved to third and Duhon took second. Harris then singled to center field, scoring Smith and moving Duhon to third.
After Harris stole second, a ground out by Castle scored Duhon and moved Harris to third. A single through the right side by Soto scored Harris. A single up the middle by Hill put runners on first and second. Delahoussaye then reached on a fielder’s choice as the Kentucky third baseman failed to get Soto going to third.
A single through the left side by Klein scored Soto before a single by Smith ended the scoring as Hill scored. A fly out to deep center field by Duhon ended the inning with the Tigers ahead 11-0.
LSU added five more in the bottom of the second. With one out, Harris was hit by a pitch. A single up the middle by Castle moved Harris to second. On a fly out to center field by Soto, Harris took third and Castle moved to second. Hill then reached on a fielding error by the shortstop as Soto scored and Castle moved to third.
A double to left center by Delahoussaye, the only extra base hit of the game, scored Hill and Castle. On a single to right field by Klein, the ball got past the right fielder, allowing Delahoussaye to score from first and extending the Tiger lead to 16-0.
After a scoreless third, the Tigers closed out the game with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Delahoussaye led off with a single up the middle. An infield single by Henderson put runners at first and second. Smith grounded out to the shortstop, moving Henderson to second and Delahoussaye to third. On a sacrifice fly to center field by Duhon, Smith and Henderson scored on the play.
Amy Kendall started and took the loss for Kentucky to fall to 1-3 on the season. She allowed four runs on two hits with a walk while facing four batters and not recording an out. Samantha Allen came on in relief and allowed seven runs, one earned, on six hits with a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning.
Meghan Cooper allowed five unearned runs on five hits in an inning before Kristi Warneke closed out the game, allowing two runs on four hits with a walk in two and a third innings.
LSU steps out of SEC play this week as the Tigers travel to Thibodaux to take on Nicholls State on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. LSU defeated the Lady Colonels, 6-2, earlier in the season at Tiger Park. The Tigers return to conference action next weekend against Ole Miss. The pair will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. before closing out the series on Sunday at noon.
Kentucky 000 00 – 0 3 3
LSU (11)50 2x – 18 17 0
Kendall, Allen (1), Cooper (1), Warneke (2) and Campbell. Turner and Hobbs, Roessner (2).
WP – Turner (11-9). LP – Kendall (1-3). T – 1:54. A – 702