The LSU softball team extended its winning streak to 15 games, and started their Southeastern Conference season on the right foot as they swept a doubleheader against Mississippi State Wednesday night at Tiger Park.
No. 3 LSU (20-3, 2-0 SEC) defeated the Bulldogs 6-2 in the first game and 6-0 in the second game.
“We started a little flat out there,” said coach Yvette Girouard. “But two wins — we will take them.”
Freshman pitcher Emily Turner (8-1) led the Tigers in the night cap with a complete game three-hit shutout.
“[Turner] threw pretty good tonight,” Girouard said. “She controlled the hitters. The number one objective when you’re pitching is to get a strikeout. The second objective is to control your hitters and that is what she did tonight.”
Turner received all the offensive help she needed in the third inning, when left fielder Leslie Klein blasted a two-run home run, her sixth of the season, over the center field wall. The Tigers took a 2-0 lead and would never look back. Klein went 2-for-4 in the game with two RBIs.
LSU added another run in the fourth as Camille Harris drilled a single through the left side of the infield to plate Lauren Delahoussaye.
“We could have done better tonight, but we did a good job of just sticking with it,” said shortstop Lauren Delahoussaye.
The Bulldogs (16-8, 0-2 SEC) committed two costly errors in the fifth to allow LSU to score two more runs and jump out to a 5-0 lead.
Lauren Castle’s fielders choice in the sixth scored LSU’s final run of the night and completed the two-game sweep of the doubleheader.
In the first game of the night, LSU used a five-run sixth inning to defeat the Bulldogs 6-2.
Senior pitcher Kristin Schmidt (11-2) dominated the Bulldogs, pitching a complete game seven hitter. Both runs the Bulldogs scored came by way of error.
MSU started the scoring in the second inning on an RBI single from Lindsay Nelson that plated Jennifer Waterman from third. They added one more run in the fourth on a Wiese error that allowed Waterman to score from second.
Schmidt shut the Bulldogs down from there on as the senior pitcher did not allow an MSU hit during the final three innings.
Trailing 2-1 heading into the sixth, LSU got back-to-back singles from Delahoussaye and Julie Wiese. Sara Fitzgerald would then draw a walk to load the bases with one out.
Catcher Kristin Hobbs was then hit by a pitch, which scored Delahoussaye from third to tie the game at two.
Harris followed suit with an RBI single to center to score Wiese from third. LaDonia Hughes kept the rally going with an RBI infield single.
A Bulldogs’ error on a double play attempt plated two more Tigers. When the smoke cleared, LSU put five runs on the board and took a commanding 6-2 lead.
LSU pitchers held MSU standout Iyhia McMichael to 1-for-6 for the night. Coming into the game McMichael was batting .470.
“She is a phenomenal player and we shut her down tonight,” Girouard said. “Hopefully we can shut her down [Thursday].”
For the Bulldogs Stephanie Comeaux (5-3) received the loss in the first game and Kelli Miller (3-2) received the loss in the second game.
LSU and MSU will meet again this afternoon at Tiger Park. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m.