AUBURN, Ala. — A bloop single by Auburn in the bottom of the first scored two runs as AU held on to defeat the LSU softball team, 2-0, on Sunday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field.
With the loss, the purple and gold fell to 27-18 on the season and 9-15 in Southeastern Conference play. Auburn improved to 42-13 on the year and 16-7 in league play, completing the three-game sweep of LSU.
Despite allowing only four hits in the game, the purple and gold could manage only two hits of their own. Auburn got one timely hit in the first that proved to be the game winner. LSU threatened in the second, third and sixth, but could not push a run across, stranding four runners on base and three in scoring position.
“We could not get the timely hit that we needed,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We left too many runners in scoring position and did not take advantage of our opportunities. I thought Megan Jolly came in and did a good job at shutting down their offense, but we just did not come through with our bats.”
Auburn broke through with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, Holly Currie drew a walk. A bloop single just past Andrea Smith at shortstop into left field by Sara Dean moved Currie to second.
A wild pitch put runners on second and third before a walk to Paige Jones loaded the bases. A second bloop single down the left field line just past Smith scored Currie and Dean to give AU the 2-0 advantage.
A double down the left field line by Lauren Delahoussaye led off the top of the second for LSU. An infield ground out by Leslie Klein moved Delahoussaye to third, but the purple and gold could not push the run across as Quinlan Duhon grounded out to the shortstop and a bloop to left came up just short and was caught by the shortstop to end the inning.
LSU got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the second, as Jolly got Dean to pop out to Smith to end the inning. In the top of the third, the purple and gold stranded Camille Harris on third after she led off with a single and stole second and third. Harris would also be stranded in scoring position in the sixth as Delahoussaye popped out to shortstop to end the inning.
Emily Turner started and took the loss to fall to 14-12 on the season. She allowed two runs on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts in an inning and a third. Jolly came on in relief in the second and allowed just two hits with three walks and two strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings.
Holly Currie earned the complete-game shutout to improve to 18-8 on the year. She allowed two hits and two walks while striking out six.
LSU remains in SEC play as the purple and gold travel to Gainesville, Fla., to take on nationally ranked Florida in a three-game series next weekend. LSU will take on the Gators in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon (CT) before closing out the series with a single game on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. (CT).
LSU 000 000 0 – 0 2 1
Auburn 200 000 x – 2 4 0
Turner, Jolly (2) and Hobbs, Roessner (3). Currie and Dean. WP – Currie (18-8). LP – Turner (14-12). T – 1:55. A – 601.