LSU defeated Auburn 1-0 Sunday afternoon, completing the Tigers’ first Southeastern Conference sweep of the season.
LSU (22-2, 3-0 SEC) defeated Auburn by only one run for the third time in three days, after winning 3-2 both Friday and Saturday in Tiger Park.
Senior pitcher Carley Hoover dominated in the circle again. Hoover allowed only three hits on 103 pitches, with eight strikeouts on the day.
Hoover (9-1) picked up her ninth win of the season in the seven-inning outing, and now has a record of 9-1. Auburn pitcher Makayla Martin took her third loss of the season.
“I can’t wait to take this momentum and keep it rolling in the SEC,” Hoover said. “I’m really proud of my team coming out on Sunday and really fighting tooth and nail, even though we already clenched the series.”
LSU continued to struggle to hit with runners in scoring position.
Sophomore designated hitter Sydney Springfield had the game’s lone RBI in the sixth inning with a ground ball through the right side of the infield. Sophomore left fielder Aliyah Andrews scored the run.
“It’s awesome coming up and being big for my team,” Springfield said. “I just had a gut-feeling it was going to work out.”
Coach Beth Torina sees the series win as a step in the right direction for the Tigers as they move forward with conference play.
“It was a great series, I think,” Torina said. “Really great moment for our team. Any time you win three in the SEC, it’s huge, especially against a quality program like that. I think it’s a huge moment for us.”
After LSU totaled five hits and one error on the day, Torina expressed confidence in her team after the hard-fought series sweep.
“It’s nice to show we’re not just talented,” Torina said. “We can do a lot of things because we have guts too. We have fight, and that going to take you a long way.”
LSU will return to Tiger Park on Tuesday to face Western Kentucky at 6 p.m.