The offensive sources for LSU's softball team may have been new, but the script was anything but.
Shortstop Blair Smith and right fielder Megann Steege took their respective turns in Saturday's spotlight.
Smith, mired in a 2--for--27 slump in Southeastern Conference play, broke a 1--1 tie with a run--scoring single to highlight a four--run sixth inning and help No. 5 LSU to a 5--1 victory over No. 21 Georgia in the second game of a doubleheader before a season--high crowd of 814 at Tiger Park.
"I've been trying to do that, I hope I can keep it up," said Smith, who finished 4--for--7 in the doubleheader. "I just knew I had to get it done in that situation."
All--American pitcher Britni Sneed tossed a complete--game two--hitter, recording the 100th win of her career in a 2--1 victory in the first game.
"I didn't know about the 100th win," said Sneed, now 100--22 in her career. "When it comes to records and things like that, I'm clueless. I'm in shock."
LSU (26--7, 11--2) will attempt to complete a three--game sweep of Georgia (37--7, 7--7) in the series finale at 11 a.m. today. The game can be heard on WJNH (107.3--FM). The Tigers remain a half--game behind SEC Western Division leader Alabama (29--11, 12--2), which won twice at Kentucky.
LSU, which outhit the Bulldogs 19--4 overall, has beaten Georgia in 14 straight games.
"We got good pitching so that obviously helped," LSU coach Yvette Girouard said of the Tigers' hitting. "It was pretty frustrating leaving all those people on base. But the good thing is that we've had different people step up."
Steege, who missed practice Thursday because of the flu and didn't play in the first game, kick--started LSU's rally against Georgia, which led 1--0 against Sneed who also started the second game.
Georgia pitcher Nichole Urban limited LSU to a pair of infield singles before Steege led off the fourth with a solo home run ---- the first of her career after 197 plate appearances.
"Coach asked me before the game if I felt strong enough to play in the second game," Steege said. "I told her I wanted to play and would let her know if I got sick again. It's been a long time since I've hit a home run. I've hit some in batting practice, but I haven't brought that swing to the game.
"I think being sick actually helped me because I was relaxed," Steege said. "It was right over the plate and when I hit it I wasn't sure. I thought it might hit near the top of the fence like the last five have. But when I heard the cheers it was a good feeling."
The carry--over into the sixth inning was noticeable.
LSU, which stranded 16 runners through 12 innings and left the bases loaded three times, finally put hits back to back.
Smith's single, the third of the inning off Urban (5--1), scored pinch--runner Sara Fitzgerald from third with one out. Trena Peel (4--for--7 overall) delivered a two--run single off reliever Rachel Hawkins and second baseman April Janzen, 3--for--3 in the opener, singled home Jennie Reeves with the sixth hit in the inning.
The four--run inning was plenty enough cushion for Kristin Schmidt, who worked the final four innings in relief of Sneed.
Schmidt (9--3) allowed one hit, walked one and struck out six.
Sneed had little trouble holding the SEC's offensive leader in 10 categories in check for six innings. She no--hit Georgia for five of those innings before center fielder Nicole Barber singled to right field. She lost her bid for her 11th shutout on Shannon McKeon's solo homer in the seventh inning.
Sneed came back to end the game with consecutive strikeouts, giving her 15 for the game. Her combined 16 strikeouts moved her past Indiana's Amy Unterbrink and into 10th place on the NCAA's all--time list with 1,098.
"I was very pumped up for the game, more than usual," said Sneed, whose overall pitch count reached 140. "Just knowing that a team, coming in here thinking they can beat us, fired me up.
"It stinks that I lost the shutout on one pitch," Sneed said. "But that's how the game is. One pitch like that and they're back in the game."
Alert baserunning by Aleshia Perry enabled LSU to keep its scoring opportunity alive in the second inning. Smith, who singled three times, led off the inning with a single to left and went to second on Reeves' sacrifice bunt.
Georgia pitcher Lacey Gardner (16--4) then worked ahead of Perry and got LSU's left fielder to swing at a third strike. But Goodman's pitch skipped off the ground during Perry's swing, constituting either a tag by catcher Shannon McKeon or a throw to first base to record the out, neither of which transpired.
Peel followed with a single, while Janzen gave LSU a 1--0 lead with a run--scoring single to center field.
The Tigers, who left the bases loaded in the first and second innings, took a 2--0 lead in the fourth. Peel singled and scored on Janzen's first double of the season ---- a liner that Peel had to duck out of the way of ---- before rolling to the wall in center.
