OXFORD, Miss. — The 13th-ranked LSU softball team opened Southeastern Conference play with a doubleheader sweep of Ole Miss on the road on Saturday evening, 6-1 and 2-1, extending their winning streak to seven games.
With the two victories, the Tigers (23-3, 2-0 SEC) have matched the 1998 team for the best start in school history. The Lady Rebels fell to 7-16 on the season and 0-2 in league play.
Quinlan Duhon was the hero of the first game for LSU, while Camille Harris came through with clutch hits in game two. Duhon went 2-for-4 with a double, home run and two RBIs. Harris came through with both RBIs while going 2-for-2 with a double and triple to lead the Tiger effort.
Both Tiger pitchers came through with outstanding performances. Neither hurler allowed an earned run or a walk and the pair combined for 10 strikeouts.
Dani Hofer started and earned the complete game win for LSU in game one to improve to 7-2 on the season. She allowed one unearned run on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts. Emily Turner earned the complete-game win in the second game to improve to 7-1 on the year. She allowed on unearned run on two hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
“It was a good sweep for us on the day,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “I thought we were a little tentative at the plate. (Mary Jane) Callahan is a good pitcher and she kept us off balance in the second game. Camille came up huge when you talk about primetime hitting. I thought both of our pitches came through with the pitches when we needed them and we played some outstanding defense.”
As a team, the Tigers posted their 12th double-figure hitting game of the season and second straight with 10 hits in game one. LSU got a trio of two-hit performances, including the Duhon’s outing. In the second game, the Tigers recorded four hits but three of those were for extra bases, including the two by Harris.
LSU came out and took the lead early in the first inning of game one. With one out, Camille Harris reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. After she stole second, Harris scored on an RBI single up the middle by Leslie Klein.
In the top of the third, the Tigers opened it up with three runs. With one out, Vanessa Soto singled to center field. She went to second on a wild pitch. On a single up the middle by Klein, Soto advanced to third and then scored on a bobble by the center fielder. With two outs, Duhon homered just inside the left field foul pole, her first of the season, to give LSU the 4-0 advantage.
The Tigers added a fifth run in the top of the fourth. Lauren Castle drilled a triple to right center field with one out. She then scored on a fielding error by the second baseman with an RBI for Harris.
In the top of the fifth, LSU stretched the lead to 6-0 on an RBI single by Lauren Delahoussaye. Duhon led off the inning with a double down the left field line. With Dee Dee Henderson running for Duhon at first, Henderson advanced to third on a fly ball to center field by Killian Roessner. A single to left center by Delahoussaye scored Henderson from third.
Ole Miss got something going for the first time in the bottom half of the sixth inning. Kayla Mosley led off with a bunt base hit. After a fielder’s choice by Mary Jane Callahan got Mosley going to second, Rebecca McIntire singled to center field to put runners on first and second. On a bunt base hit by Lisa Conchos, Callahan scored as Hofer threw the ball away to first.
Dana Brill started and took the complete-game loss for the Lady Rebels to fall to 3-5 on the season. She allowed six runs, five earned, on 10 hits with six walks and two strikeouts.
The Tigers got on the board in the top of the third inning. Delahoussaye led off the inning with a walk. With Henderson running for her at first, Henderson stole second. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Andrea Smith. Harris then tripled to right field, scoring Henderson to give LSU the 1-0 advantage.
Ole Miss came back to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning. Brittany Warner led off with a single to center field. On a sacrifice bunt attempt by Mosley, Warner advanced to second as Mosley was safe at first on an error by Emily Turner. The pair advanced to second and third on a ground out by Callahan.
With one out, McIntire fouled out to Delahoussaye at third, but on the play, Delahoussaye drifted into a dead ball area at the dugout and the runners were awarded a base on the play. That meant that Warner scored an unearned run and Mosley advanced to third on the “catch and carry” rule to tie the game at one all.
In the top of the fifth, LSU came back to take the lead. Delahoussaye led off with a walk once again. A sacrifice bunt by Smith sent Delahoussaye to second. Harris then doubled to left center, scoring Delahoussaye from second for the 2-1 advantage.
Mary Jane Callahan took the loss in game two to fall to 3-9 on the season. She allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and a strikeout.
The Tigers will go for the series sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game can be heard on the LSU Sports Radio Network on The X – 104.5/104.9 in Baton Rouge and in the GeauxZone powered by USAgencies. LSU has now won 31 of the previous 33 meetings with the Lady Rebels and have not lost to Ole Miss since 1999.