BATON ROUGE — Behind a pair of dominating pitching performances by Britni Sneed and Kristin Schmidt, the fifth-ranked Tiger softball team swept a pair of critical Southeastern Conference games from 24th-ranked South Carolina, 6-0 and 8-0, in Tiger Park on Saturday afternoon.
With the wins, LSU improves to 23-7 overall and 8-2 in SEC play, while South Carolina falls to 21-10 overall and 4-4 in league play. The pair will play the final game of the series on Sunday at 11 a.m.
“I liked the way we played today,” said Girouard. “This team is all about attitude and our attitude was good today. if we keep playing the way we played today, we will be a tough team to beat.”
All-Americas Sneed and Schmidt each threw complete-game shutouts for the Tigers. Sneed struck out 14 in a two-hit performance in game one to run her record to 12-4. Schmidt allowed only three hits while recording seven strikeouts in game two to improve her record to 8-3 on the year.
“Britni is looking like the Britni of old,” said Girouard. “She is dominating opponents and is getting back into her zone. She wants the ball when we take the field and that is good for this team.
“Kristin has been very shaky in her last few outing, but I was very happy with her performance today,” Girouard continued. “She was in total command of her pitches. In the past, she has been beaten by the home run ball and we have spent a lot of time talking about keeping the ball in the ballpark and letting our defense make some plays and that is what she did today.”
In the first game, both teams struggled to get the offense going in the early innings with only two hits recorded in the first three innings as Sneed struck out nine of the first 12 South Carolina batters.
After a Tessa Lynam walk in the bottom of the second, LSU recorded its first hit of the game when Blair Smith singled down the left field line with two outs. Jennie Reeves followed with a single to deep in the hole up the middle that forced USC shortstop Amber Curtis to make a diving play. Curtis made a great play to get up a and throw Lynam out trying to score at home.
LSU finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. Christy Connor led off the inning with a single to right field. After Sara Fitzgerald came in to run for Connor, Julie Wiese reached on an error by Curtis. Megann Steege reached on a fielders choices as Fitzgerald was thrown out a third.
After Wiese stole third, Lynam reached on a fielders choice when Wiese was gunned down at home trying to score. With two outs, pinch hitter Erin Johnson knocked an infield single that loaded the bases. Pinch hitter Leigh Ann Danos then got a bases loaded walk to give LSU the 1-0 lead. Aleshia Perry struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
South Carolina picked up its first hit of the game in the fifth inning on a single down the leftfield line by Meghan Cornett with two outs. She advanced to second when Sneed hit Adrianna Baggetta, but Sneed rebounded to strike out Samantha Jennings swinging to end the inning.
The Gamecocks got their only other hit of the game in the top of the sixth inning when Danielle Quinones led off the inning with a double to left centerfield. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, but Sneed struck out Kim Evans and Curtis looking to end the threat.
The Tigers broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth inning with five runs on four hits. Wiese led off the inning with an infield single before Steege earned a walk. After two outs, Reeves singled to left field to load the bases. Perry then singled to left field to score Wiese from third.
Trena Peel broke the LSU career triples record with her 21st career triple.
She knocked the bases-clearing triple to left centerfield to score Steege, Reeves and Perry and give LSU the 5-0 lead. April Janzen then reached on an error by Curtis that scored Peel from third.
South Carolina went down in order in the seventh to end the game.
In game two, South Carolina opened the game with an infield single before the Tigers retired the next seven Gamecocks in order.
LSU got its first hit of the game on a Janzen single in the bottom of the first inning with one out, but she could not advance beyond first base.
Girouard was ejected from the game between the third and fourth innings after arguing a close play at first base, sparking the Tigers in the fourth inning, as LSU erupted for seven runs.
Connor led off the inning with a single up the middle. She advanced to second on a wild pitch before Jessica Braggins came in to pinch run for her at second. Braggins then advanced to third on a passed ball.
After a Wiese walk, Johnson grounded out to the pitcher to advance Wiese to second base. Steege then walked to load the bases.
Lynam hit a pinch hit single to left field to score Braggins from third and keep the bases loaded. Smith then returned for Lynam at first base. Reeves earned a bases loaded walk to score Wiese and give LSU the 2-0 lead.
An error by South Carolina third baseman Samantha Jennings allowed Perry to reach base and advance to second. Smith and Steege both scored on the play before Reeves scored on a passed ball and Perry advanced to third.
Peel was then hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners with one out. Janzen hit into a fielders choice, but Gamecock shortstop Curtis was unable to make the play on Perry at home and no out was recorded. Another passed ball advanced Janzen to second and Peel to third and an error by the catcher on a throw to third scored Peel. Connor and Wiese then flew out to end the inning with LSU ahead, 7-0.
South Carolina threatened in the top of the sixth with one out. Evans singled to left centerfield and Curtis reached on an error by Schmidt before Debralee Troesh grounded into a double play from Wiese at third to Connor at first base to end the inning.
LSU ended the game early in the bottom of the sixth inning on the eight-run rule. Danos hit a pinch hit single and advanced to second on an error by the leftfielder. After Perry popped up to the second baseman, Peel knocked her second triple of the day down the leftfield line to score Reeves from first and give LSU the win.