PLANT CITY, FL – In a dramatic finish to an equally dramaticafternoon, LSU sub Lauren Delahoussaye drove a pinch-hit RBI singleto right field in the bottom of the ninth inning to give No. 3 LSUa 1-0 win over No. 6 Tennessee in the opening game of the SECSoftball Tournament.
The teams played no-hit softball until the top of the thirdinning, when Volunteer shortstop Ellisha Humphrey singled down theleft field line for the first base hit of the game. Undaunted,Tiger pitcher Kristin Schmidt responded immediately by getting thenext two batters out to leave Humphrey stranded on first with thegame tied scoreless.
Schmidt was masterful in the sweltering Floridian heat, strikingout six while surrendering only four hits during the extra inningmarathon. The junior from Houston appeared to get stronger as thetemperature crept above 90 degrees, often leaving the Tennesseebatters helpless with her mix of changeups and screwballs.
“I felt like I was (getting stronger),” said Schmidt of herperformance in the circle. “It was a little hot today, but I wasfeeling good at the end of the game.”
LSU had a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the fifthwhen Alicia Owen led off the inning with a single to left field.Third baseman Julie Wiese followed with a walk, and when MegannSteege reached base on a slow roller to third base two outs later,the bases were loaded with outfielder LaDonia Hughes at the plate.With reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week Stephanie Humphrey on themound however, the Volunteers were far from concerned, and Hughesgrounded out harmlessly to second base to end the inning.
“A lot of credit to Humphrey, she kept us off balance, the ballhad no eyes for us,” head coach Yvette Girouard said. “Tennesseecame out loose, they played a great game, I thought we hit the ballreally hard at times, but we just couldn’t find a crease.”
The Tigers were given a second chance in the bottom of theeighth, when designated player Tessa Lynam lined a rocket towardTennessee third baseman Kristi Durant. Durant made the catch, but awayward throw to first to try and catch LSU baserunner StephanieHill off the bag went wide, and Hughes, standing on second base,headed for third. As Girouard waved Hughes home, the Farmville,Va., native hesitated and was ultimately thrown out trying toscore.
LSU would only need one more chance though, and whenDelahoussaye was called in to pinch-hit for Steege in the bottom ofthe ninth inning after Leigh Ann Danos and Blair Smith wereintentionally walked to load the bases, the Tigers sensed victorywas near.
Delahoussaye wasted no time in lining a 1-1 pitch into rightfield to score Alicia Owen from third, and after 2 hours and 22minutes the game was finally over.
“I have to give my kids a lot of credit for continuing to fight,and I’m just really happy for Lauren Delahoussaye, she’s a kid whocomes out every day and gives it her all,” said head coach YvetteGirouard. “Things haven’t quite gone her way this year, but thatwas a huge hit for her.”
For all of the accolades, Delahoussaye herself remained a littlemore modest about her clutch hit.
“We had a good defensive game, Schmidt had a good pitching game,I was just ready to do my job when it came,” Delahoussaye said. “Iwas nervous but you can’t show it, I always try not to show itanyway. I think practicing so much made it for me, I’ve beenworking on the outside pitch so I saw it, and I hit it.”
LSU will now advance to play Alabama at 5 p.m. Friday for theright to proceed to the conference semifinals on Saturdaynight.