AUBURN, Ala. — A three-run sixth inning propelled the fifth-ranked LSU softball team past second-ranked Alabama, 4-1, in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Friday evening at Jane B. Moore Field.
With the win, the second-seeded Tigers improved to 51-10 on the season and will advance to take on Florida on Saturday at noon in the SEC Tournament championship game. It marks the eighth appearances by LSU in the tournament championship game in the last nine seasons, as the Tigers have won four times.
“We are thrilled to be playing in the (SEC) championship again,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “I believe LSU has been in eight out of the 11 (SEC Championship games), so that’s a statement to the program.”
The loss drops the third-seeded Crimson Tide to 51-7 on the year with three of those seven losses coming at the hands of LSU. The Tigers won the season series in Baton Rouge, 2-1, and have now won three straight over Alabama this season after dropping the first game of the series.
“That was a typical Alabama/LSU war on the softball field,” said Girouard. “That was great game. We always tell our team to live in the present. I would like to play defense just a tad bit better, but I was awfully happy with the way we swung the bat because we had been in a funk offensively.”
Rachel Mitchell continued her hot streak at the SEC Tournament with a 2-for-3 performance including a home run, an RBI and two runs scored. She is now 5-for-7 in the first two days of the tournament with a trio of extra-base hits. Jazz Jackson also went 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Leslie Klein led the team with a pair of timely RBIs on her 20th double of the season. She tied the LSU single-season record for doubles, tying former Tiger All-American Ashlee Ducote‘s 20 doubles from 1999.
Emily Turner threw a complete-game to earn the win and improve to 19-6 on the season. She allowed one run on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. She has now defeated the Crimson Tide twice this season after earning the win in the rubber match of the season series.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Tigers broke through with the first run of the game. Mitchell drove an 0-1 pitch over the left field fence to put LSU ahead. It was the eighth home run of the season for the freshman from LaPorte, Texas, giving her a share of the team lead.
Alabama came back to tie it up in the top of the fifth. Kellie Eubanks led off with a check swing single that just dribbled out between the plate and the circle. Mallory Benak then came in to pinch run for Eubanks and was sacrificed to second. On a single to left field by Brittany Rogers, Benak was caught between second and third, but the Tigers could not get the out as no one was covering third. On a sacrifice fly to center field by Kelley Montalvo, Benak scored from third.
LSU retook the lead with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Jazz Jackson singled through the left side. Mitchell then came up about two feet short of her second home run, nailing a ball off the 10-foot tall outfield fence in left field. Because Jackson had to hold up to see if the ball was caught, it only turned into a single for Mitchell. Klein the doubled to right center field and moved to third on the throw as both Jackson and Mitchell scored. A sacrifice fly by Killian Roessner to right field allowed Klein to score to give the Tigers the 4-1 advantage.
Alabama would not go quietly in the seventh as the Crimson Tide loaded the bases with one out. Turner came through with a harmless pop out on the infield before closing out the game with a strikeout, her seventh of the game, to preserve the win.
The Tigers took 3-of-4 meetings with the Crimson Tide this season and improved to 29-20 all-time, in the SEC’s most played series. Alabama won the first game, against LSU, 6-0, but the Tigers came back to win the last two, 5-4 in eight innings and 3-0. LSU is also now 6-4 against the Crimson Tide in SEC Tournament play.
The Tigers have now participated in all 11 conference tournaments in the league’s history. LSU owns a 31-11 overall record in SEC Tournament play, and have won the tournament a conference-record four times ? 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004. The Tigers have advanced through the tournament into the championship game in seven of the last eight seasons, including last year when LSU lost to Tennessee, 3-0.