May 13, 2004
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – After a three hour and 40-minute rain delay, South Carolina and the No.2 LSU Tigers were able to play in the 2004 SEC Tournament at the University of Alabama Softball Stadium. Pitcher Stacey Johnson held the SEC Champion Tigers hitless for three innings but it wasn’t enough as the No. 8 seed Gamecocks fell 2-0 in first round action. The Tigers’ Kristin Schmidt struck out 14 USC batters, an SEC Tournament record, and held the Gamecocks to four hits. Junior Aleca Johnson was the only USC player to record two hits, while Nancy Crane and Samantha Jennings registered the other two.
“It was a good game, well-fought and we had one bad inning,” said head coach Joyce Compton. “I didn’t think our at-bats were as clean as they could have been. We had opportunities early and didn’t take advantage. I thought we played better than we had been the last week of the season. A swing here and there and it is a different game.”
The Gamecocks tried to jump out early as Crane led off the game with a bunt single and stole second to give USC a runner in scoring position. Ashley Smith drew a walk to give Gamecock runners at first and second, but Chrissy Schoonmaker struck out looking and stranded the runners.
In the LSU half of the inning, the Tigers threatened as LaDonia Hughes, who led off with a walk, had a chance to score from third with one out, but Johnson then struck out Leslie Klein and Stephanie Hill flew out to end the inning and strand Hughes.
The Gamecocks continued to hit in the second inning as Johnson and Jennings hit back-to-back singles but the run was halted when Crane grounded out to the pitcher and left the runners at third and second.
Camille Harris broke up the no-hitter in the third when she hit a sharp line drive down the third base line to give LSU its second runner of the night. Harris would not come home as Johnson got the next two outs, including a called strike on Lauren Castle to end the inning.
LSU put the first run on the board when Klein hit a solo home run to deep centerfield. With two outs, Leigh Ann Danos reached on an error by USC shortstop Amber Curtis and LSU went up 2-0 when Danos’ pinch runner Lauren Uhle scored on an RBI single by Julie Wiese.
That would be all that LSU needed as Schmidt held USC to just one hit after the second inning. In efforts that hoped to be a rally, Johnson recorded her second hit of the game in the seventh inning but fell short as Schmidt struck out the next two Gamecock batters, including a called strike to end the game. For the game, USC stranded a total of six base runners.
USC fell to 27-21 while LSU improved to 47-9. Johnson is now 16-10 while Schmidt is 29-5. The Gamecocks will now play the loser of the Auburn-Alabama game at 2:30 p.m. (EST). A loss would eliminate South Carolina from the SEC tournament.
