To keep pace with Southeastern Conference West-leading Alabama, the LSU softball team needed a sweep of Auburn this weekend. Mission accomplished.
The Tigers (43-12, 19-7 Southeastern Conference) traveled to Auburn this weekend and came up with a sweep, blowing out the blue and orange Tigers to complete the job Sunday, 10-1.
LSU has won 16 of its last 17 games, with three games remaining in the regular season before the SEC Tournament begins May 8 in Plant City, Fla. The Tigers now trail Alabama in the West by one game in the loss column.
The Auburn sweep was a home run fest for the Tigers. LSU hit a total of nine on the weekend, including five in the sweep-deciding game three. The home run barrage broke a single-season record for the Tigers, taking their total to 44 on the year. The previous record of 41 was set by the Women’s College World Series team in 2001. The five-home-run, single-game performance is also a record, tying the performance earlier this year against Cal Poly.
“Hitting home runs is not something we preach, but right now we just have so much pop in our bats,” LSU coach Yvette Girouard said. “Our hitters believe, and they have that home run mindset when they go to the plate. They feel good, are seeing the ball and think that we can put a lot of runs on the board.”
LSU jumped out early Sunday, using walks by Sara Fitzgerald and LaDonia Hughes, followed by a Christy Connor bomb, to jump out 3-0. Alicia Owen then hit a roundtripper, which extended the lead to 4-0 before Auburn got up to bat.
Auburn then scored its only run of the game, not surprisingly on a home run, as Kasey Angulo took pitcher Kristen Schmidt deep to close the score to 4-1 in the second inning.
Schmidt buckled down, allowing zero runs and only three hits after Angulo’s shot.
“We got another great effort from Kristen Schmidt,” Girouard said. “She threw a great game for us today.”
Tessa Lynam led off the fourth inning with a solo shot. Owen walked, and pitcher Kristen Keyes was pulled and replaced by Angulo. Owen then moved to third on two sacrifices and scored on a wild pitch to take a 6-1 lead.
Lynam continued the home run spree with another solo shot in the sixth inning, taking LSU’s total to five on the day, which tied the LSU single-season record set earlier this season.
Owen then singled and scored on a Leigh Ann Danos double down the left field line. Blair Smith then hit a two-run home run to close out the scoring and complete the sweep for LSU.
All news was not good for the Tigers though, as outfielder Camille Harris broke a bone in her right forearm when she was hit by a pitch in the first game of the series.