BATON ROUGE — The eighth-ranked LSU softball team took over first place in the Southeastern Conference Western Division standings with a 3-0 shutout of second-ranked Alabama on Sunday afternoon at Tiger Park, completing the series win by taking 2-of-3 from the Crimson Tide.
The Tigers now sit at 31-5 overall and 7-2 in SEC action, just ahead of Alabama in percentage points in the conference standings. The loss dropped the Crimson Tide to 31-3 on the year and 10-3 in league play.
LSU was also able to accomplish something no other team had done in over a year as the Tigers recorded the first shutout against Alabama since the Crimson Tide fell to No. 1 Arizona, 2-0, on March 18, 2006. It also marked the first SEC shutout against Alabama since April 2, 2005, when Ole Miss topped the Crimson Tide, 3-0.
“This was a great statement, but this is a tough conference and we still have a bunch of teams left,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We have the opportunity to play many of the good teams at home and we need to take advantage of the scheduling this year. One year it’s in your favor and the next year you are in the frying pan, so you have to take advantage of it when you can.”
After taking the 3-0 lead on RBI singles by Leslie Klein and Andrea Smith and an Alabama error, the Crimson Tide put the tying run at the plate in the top of the seventh. Dani Hofer came on in relief of Emily Turner with two on and no outs and proceeded to retire the final three Alabama batters in order, including a strikeout to end the game and preserve the win. It marked Hofer’s first save of the season as she retired all three batters she faced.
“You never feel comfortable when they have runners on and can tie it with one swing of the bat,” said Girouard. “They have won several games this year that way and you don’t feel easy until the umpire says three outs.”
Turner started and earned the win for LSU to improve to 11-4 on the year. She scattered 10 hits but did not give up a run for her fourth shutout of the season. Turner also walked one and struck out four in six innings. Working with runners on base most of the game, the senior All-American came through with timely pitches as she kept Alabama off the scoreboard, stranding runners in 12 total runners, including the bases loaded twice and nine in scoring position.
“We had some great defensive plays today, but more importantly, we came up with some big pitches when we needed to get us out of inning,” said Girouard. “That is really what good pitching comes down to sometimes. You have to make the big pitch when you need it.”
Smith continued her tear against Alabama, going 2-for-3 with a key RBI on Sunday after hitting a walk-off double to defeat the Crimson Tide on Saturday. In front of her family, who made the trip to Baton Rouge from California, the junior shortstop finished the weekend 5-for-8 with two doubles and four RBIs, a fine performance from the Tigers’ ninth batter.
“Andrea Smith had a great weekend,” said Girouard. “Her family was in from California and I think I will ask them to have permanent residency in Baton Rouge. She’s capable of hitting and when you nine-hole hitter is hitting like she is, it makes the rest of the line-up so much more dangerous.”
Klein also had a superb weekend as the senior All-American went 2-for-3 with an RBI on Sunday to finish the weekend at 4-for-10 with a double and three RBIs. Jazz Jackson and Killian Roessner also recorded multiple-hit games for LSU on Sunday, each going 2-for-4 for the Tigers.
LSU got on the board in the bottom of the third. With one out, Dee Dee Henderson and Jackson came up with back-to-back singles. A single to center field by Klein allowed Henderson to come around and score from second.
In the fourth, the Tigers added a second run. Vanessa Soto led off with a double to right center. She moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a one-out single by Smith to left field.
LSU closed out the scoring in the game in the sixth. Soto was hit by a pitch to start the inning. With Erika Sluss running for Soto, Sluss moved to second on a one-out single by Smith. With two outs, Jackson singled to left field, sending Sluss to third. On the play, the ball skipped away from Crimson Tide left fielder Mandy Burford, allowing Sluss to score.
After stranding 10 runners on base, including the bases loaded twice, in the first six innings, Alabama led of f with back-to-back singles by Jordan Praytor and Lauren Parker to start the seventh to put runners on the corners. Hofer then came on in relief of Turner.
“Dani is throwing better and has more confidence this year and it was time for a change in the game,” said Girouard about her decision to go to Hofer out of the bullpen. “When you give up two hits to start the inning, it was time to pull her. We wanted to give Alabama a different look.”
With Michelle Menningmann running for Parker, she moved to second on a foul out down the left field line by Charlotte Morgan. Hofer then got a pop out by Burford to Hollis at third. Facing Dani Woods with runners on second and third, Hofer recorded the full-count strikeout swinging on a change up to end the game.
Chrissy Owens took her first loss of the season for Alabama to fall to 16-1 overall. She allowed three runs on 10 hits with a walk and two strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings. Blair Potter came on in relief in the sixth and retired the only batter she faced.
It marked the first runs the Tigers have ever put up against Owens in her three seasons the Crimson Tide, as she had not given up a run in 21 innings against LSU before allowing a third-inning run. It was also just the 10th, 11th and 12th runs scored against Owens this season as she leads Alabama with 95.1 innings of work.
Having played the Crimson Tide more than any opponent in school history, the pair also have the most played rivalry in SEC history. The Tigers hold the 28-20 all-time series advantage against Alabama, including a 13-7 record in Baton Rouge. LSU has now won back-to-back series against the Crimson Tide after taking 2-of-3 from Alabama last season in Tuscaloosa.
The Tigers will not take to the road for a mid-week game at McNeese State in Lake Charles. LSU earned a 7-1 win over the Cowgirls on March 7 and are undefeated all-time against McNeese State, holding the 15-0 series record. The Tigers will also take a 52-game winning streak against Louisiana teams into the contest, last losing to an in-state school in 2004.
Following the mid-week trip to McNeese State, LSU will hit the road for a three-game SEC series at Auburn. The Tigers will take on AU on Saturday in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. before closing out the series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. Last season, LSU took 2-of-3 from Auburn in Baton Rouge.
Alabama 000 000 0 – 0 10 1
LSU 001 101 x – 3 10 1
Chrissy Owens, Blair Potter (6) and Ashley Holcombe. Emily Turner, Dani Hofer (7) and Killian Roessner. WP ? Turner (11-4). LP ? Owens (16-1). S ? Hofer (1). T ? 2:03. A ? 889.