FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For the second time this season, the LSU softball team recorded a series shutout over a Southeastern Conference rival, defeating Arkansas, 5-0, in the series finale on Wednesday evening at Lady’Back Yard.
The Tigers (30-7, 15-2 SEC) increase their winning streak to 10 games, while Arkansas falls to 25-17 overall and 6-9 in the SEC.
“This was a big series win for us to start our long road trip,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “It was good to come away with three wins before we have to go and face Alabama in Tuscaloosa this weekend.
Britni Sneed recorded her 12th complete-game shutout of the season for the Tigers, improving her record to 17-4 overall and 11-0 in the SEC. She allowed just two hits, with no walks and struck out 12.
“Britni was on again tonight,” said Girouard. “When she is pitching well, it just makes our team better. We know that if we can get a few runs to support her, then we should be able to win, and that is just what we did this weekend.”
LSU utilized three Lady’Back errors in the top of the second inning to jump out to the 4-0 lead. Julie Wiese led off the inning with a walk. Blair Smith reached on a dropped fly ball by the Lady’Back rightfielder and Wiese advanced to second.
Jennie Reeves attempted to sacrifice Wiese and Smith to second and third, but an error by the Arkansas pitcher allowed Wiese to score and an error by the Lady’Back centerfielder allowed Smith to score and Reeves to reach second.
Aleshia Perry then knocked a single to advance Reeves and put runners on first and third with no outs. Perry advanced to second on catcher’s indifference, before Trena Peel struck out and Sara Fitzgerald grounded out to bring up Christy Connor.
Connor laced a single up the middle to score both Reeves and Perry before Megann Steege grounded out to end the inning with LSU leading 4-0.
LSU threatened again in the top of the fifth inning. With two outs, Steege knocked her second triple of the season into the right centerfield gap, but she was stranded on third as Johnson grounded out to the first baseman.
The Tigers got another run in the top of the seventh inning. Leslie Barron singled down the right field line to lead off the inning. After Peel reached on a fielder’s choice, Fitzgerald doubled to left field to put runners on second and third with one out.
Connor then knocked a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield to score Peel from third before Steege grounded out to the shortstop to end the inning with Fitzgerald at third.
Arkansas did not have a runner advance past second base in the game. After a bloop leadoff base hit in the first inning and a sacrifice bunt, the runner was stranded at second base in the first inning.
An infield single to third base in the second inning and an error by Wiese put a Lady’Back runner on second base, but she was also left stranded at second.
In the bottom of the fourth, Sneed hit Danica White to put her on first, but she was caught stealing second base to end the inning.
In the final three innings, two runners reached first after being hit by Sneed, but the All-American pitcher struck out eight of the last nine outs to end the game.
The Tigers now travel to face No. 15 Alabama in a three-game series in Tuscaloosa, Ala., beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. The final game will be on Sunday at 1 p.m. and televised on Fox Sports Southwest in Baton Rouge on cable channel 37.