Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.
BATON ROUGE, La. – Graduate pitcher Ali Kilponen tossed her fourth shutout of the season to help No. 15 LSU (37-11, 10-8 SEC) sweep Mississippi State (24-22, 3-14 SEC) with an 8-0 run-rule victory Sunday afternoon at Tiger Park.
“It was a great weekend for so many reasons,” said Head Coach Beth Torina. “Not just for what we did on the field, but for what it represented. It represented all the women who have battled with ovarian cancer and for the Baton Rouge community. It was a really special weekend and I couldn’t have asked for much more.”
The Tigers put together another complete game by tallying 10 or more hits for the third consecutive game, and recording their 12th shutout of the season.
Kilponen moved to 11-5 in the circle this season after tossing eight strikeouts and allowing just two hits in the complete game shutout effort. Kilponen set the tone early as she held the Bulldogs hitless through four innings, striking out eight of the first fifteen batters of the game.
A trio of juniors including outfielder Ciara Briggs, infielder Danieca Coffey, and catcher Ali Newland led the team in hits with two while five other Tigers recorded one hit on the afternoon. Newland hit one of two home runs in the game, joining graduate designated player Georgia Clark who matched her season high with four RBIs for the third time this season. Graduate infielder Karli Petty and sophomore outfielder McKenzie Redoutey each recorded one hit and an RBI in the win.
Mississippi State’s senior pitcher Matalasi Faapito (4-6) was given the loss Sunday. She allowed one run on two hits and two walks in 2.0 innings.
Coffey led off the bottom of the first with a single, and Briggs followed by reaching on an error. A couple batters later, Clark reached on a fielder’s choice and was credited an RBI when Coffey touched home plate, but a throwing error by the Bulldogs was able to score Briggs and gave LSU a 2-0 lead after the opening inning.
The Tigers struck again with two runs in the third inning. LSU had runners on first and second with one out when Petty lined a one-run double to right field. The next at bat, Redoutey hit a sac fly to left field to plate the second run of the frame to stretch the lead to 4-0.
LSU ended the game with four runs in the sixth stanza. Coffey and Briggs led off the bottom half inning with a pair of singles, and a couple batters later, Clark hit a three-run bomb to left field. Newland followed suit in the next at bat by launching her fifth homer of the season to secure the 8-0 run rule victory.
On Deck
LSU will hit the road for their final away series of the season, traveling to Tuscaloosa, Ala. for a three-game series against Alabama April 28-30.
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