CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The third-ranked LSU Tigers rode an excellent pitching performance by senior Ashley Lewis to top Auburn, 4-1, on Saturday night at the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn. LSU advances to the championship game with South Carolina on Sunday at noon.
“We felt like we had to make things happen in the fourth inning,” said head coach Yvette Girouard. “Julie stole third, and Dee had a nice hit to send her home. Ashley did a nice job pitching tonight. Without the two walked batters, the run would not have scored, but she came back to quickly stop the damage. It was monumental for her to pitch tonight to be sharp for Regional play.”
LSU improves to 52-9 on the season, and Auburn falls to 31-32.
Auburn starting pitcher Lily DuBois got into trouble early when she hit Jennifer Schuelke to load the bases with two outs and issued a walk to Auburne Ziober to send pinch runner Sara Fitzgerald across the plate.
Auburn answered back in the bottom of the third with a run to tie the game. LSU pitcher Ashley Lewis issued two consecutive walks to Marcella Passarelli and Ashley Moore to start the inning. Jennifer Hammock grounded out to second to send Passarelli across the plate.
LSU came back in the top of the fourth to score a run with two outs. Julie Wiese made an important steal to make it to third. Dee Douglas then slapped the ball just over the heads of the infield behind second to allow Wiese to make it home from third.
The LSU Tigers added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh for the 4-1 win. Ziober reached base on a single, advanced to second on an error and made it home on a second Auburne error. Christy Connor picked up an RBI with a ground out that sent Douglas home.
Lewis went the distance for LSU, running her record to 19-4. She allowed only two hits, walked three, and struck out six.
The LSU bats combined for six hits off DuBois and Mary Petrie. Ziober led the Tigers going two-for-two on the night.
The No. 1 seed Tigers will play the No. 2 seed South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday at noon in Chattanooga, Tenn. The game will be carried on Fox Sports South at 1 p.m. The LSU Sports Network will broadcast the game on 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge and over the Internet at www.LSUsports.net.