LSU softball coach Yvette Girouard already knew her team's potential.
Girouard just hadn't seen some of the qualities recently that had defined last year's College World Series squad and at times, this year's squad.
With the idea of watching some of their preseason goals go awry, Girouard watched the re-emergence of such characteristics as pride and determination.
Third-ranked LSU pushed aside the disappointment of a tense 2-1 loss Wednesday night with a methodical 5-0 victory over Auburn before 483 Thursday at Tiger Park.
"I told them I get to coach at LSU as long as they'll have me," Girouard said. "You only get four years to play, so you have to make up your mind you're not going to allow Auburn to take this from us.
"In the locker room before the game," Girouard said, "I could tell they were ticked that it (2-1 loss) happened. I appealed to their pride."
The win enabled the Tigers (47-9, 25-4) to secure their fourth consecutive overall Southeastern Conference championship and sixth straight Western Division crown.
LSU will also be the top-seeded team in Thursday's SEC Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn., where the Tigers enter as defending champions.
"When you talk about SEC softball," Girouard said, "you're going to have to put LSU along side of it for a long, long time."
"It's a credit to the seniors for being such awesome leaders," said LSU All-America pitcher Britni Sneed, one of five seniors. "We've shown a lot of heart and got the job done. It's also a credit to the team. We've overcome some adversity. We just kept pushing."
Sneed, victimized by Wednesday's two-run homer in a rare relief appearance, showed no ill effects of her one-pitch mistake to Auburn's Sara Dean with one out.
Sneed (27-6) responded with her 20th shutout of the season. She scattered four hits and walked none. Sneed's 13 strikeouts left her just three short of fifth place on the NCAA's all-time strikeout list with 1,277.
"I wasn't going to let that one pitch ruin me," Sneed said. "I just let it go out the door. I just said they weren't going to beat us again. I came out with revenge on my mind."
LSU took advantage of Auburn starter Lily Dubois' wildness -- a pair of illegal pitches, a walk and two hit batsmen for a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Trena Peel scored the first run, breaking from third base after Erin Johnson's groundout. Her slide beat first baseman Kasey Angulo's throw to catcher Deni Zeigler, who was upended on the play and left the game with an arm injury.
Freshman Tessa Lynam followed by chopping a single over the head of third baseman Lindsey Chitwood into left field, scoring April Janzen.
"I just get up there and try to knock in runs," said Lynam, third on the team with 27 RBIs. "I'm trying to put it in play and get the run home.
Lynam (3-for-4, 2 RBIs) increased LSU's lead to 3-0 in the third, doubling just past the outstretched glove of a diving Ashley Moore in center field to score Johnson, who drew a one-out walk.
Jennie Reeves' bases-loaded walk in the fifth, and Sara Fitzgerald's run-scoring double in the sixth, accounted for LSU's final two runs.
The Tigers finished with eight hits, five of which came in the final two innings off of Dubois (2-1). They also stranded nine runners and 25 in the three-game series.
"They realize that we aren't playing that well offensively," Girouard said. "They know that we have to bring it to another level to get to our dreams accomplished this year, which is to go back to Oklahoma City."
Sneed did the rest, retiring 12 of the final 13 batters she faced -- including the last nine. Her strikeout of Jodie Van Ooyen set off a modest celebration.
"This was a big hurdle out of the way," Girouard said. "There was a lot of pressure on this team, a lot of talk about this team. And at times, maybe we succumb to some of it.
"But they found a way to do it and my hat's off to them," Girouard said. "They fought the whole season."
Linescore
LSU 5, Auburn 0
Auburn 000 000 0 -- 0 4 0
LSU 201 011 x -- 5 8 0
Lily Dubois and Deni Zeigler Sara Dean (1); Britni Sneed at Leigh Ann Danos, Jennie Reeves (3). W -- Sneed (27-6). L -- Dubois (2-1). 2B -- Jones, Lynam, Johnson, Fitzgerald. 3B -- None. HR -- None A -- 483.
