Tag: instant analysis

LSU softball drops series to Tennessee in Game 3 shutout loss

The Tigers lost their third SEC series in a row on Sunday.

The LSU softball team couldn’t get much going on offense in a decisive Game 3 against No. 4 Tennessee on Sunday as it lost in shutout fashion 3-0.

The Tigers have now lost three SEC series in a row, dropping to 35-10 (11-10 SEC). The Vols, meanwhile, won their first series against LSU in Knoxville since 2018.

As was the case in the first two games in the series, it was a pitching duel in Knoxville.

Though both teams threatened at different points, no one managed a run through the first five innings. However, LSU pitcher [autotag]Sydney Berzon[/autotag] found herself in danger in the bottom of the sixth, loading up the bases with two outs.

With one swing of the bat, Tennessee took control with a two-RBI double. On the next at-bat, the Vols added an RBI single to add some insurance and put the margin at three runs.

That was all the damage the Tigers allowed, but it put them in a significant hole with only three outs to spare. UT ultimately managed to retire the side in order.

The road remains tough. After earning a ranked win in the midweek against UL-Lafayette last week, the Tigers will now face the Ragin’ Cajuns in a rematch on Tuesday night, this time on the road in Lafayette.

After that, coach Beth Torina’s team will host Arkansas for a three-game set beginning on Friday.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Late LSU baseball rally falls short as Tigers drop Game 2 to Missouri

LSU’s first conference series win will have to wait at least one more day.

LSU’s first conference series win will have to wait at least one more day.

After run-ruling Missouri on Friday, the LSU Tigers were not so fortunate Saturday as Missouri won Game 2 by an 8-7 margin despite a ninth-inning rally from LSU, which fell to 4-13 in SEC play.

Missouri scored first in the bottom of the first inning with a ground-rule double for an RBI and an error that led to another run to make it 2-0 Missouri early. In the top of the second inning, LSU got one of those runs back when [autotag]Michael Braswell III[/autotag] hit an RBI single to cut the lead to 2-1.

Missouri answered that run in the bottom of the second as they extended their lead to 3-1. Both teams settled in and the game got quiet until the bottom of the fifth inning. Missouri scored four runs to extend their lead to 7-1 and chased [autotag]Luke Holman[/autotag] from the mound.

Holman was pulled from the game after 4.2 innings of work. He gave up six runs on six hits, four strikeouts, and two walks. [autotag]Aiden Moffett[/autotag] entered the game for LSU and Missouri scored one of those four runs against him that inning.

LSU started trying to claw their way back in the top of the sixth inning with a solo homer from [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag]. Then [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] hit a two-run shot in the top of the eighth to cut the lead to 7-4.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Missouri scored another run to increase their lead to 8-4. In the top of the ninth, [autotag]Stephen Milam[/autotag] hit an RBI double to cut the lead to 8-5. [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] then hit a two-run homer to cut the lead to 8-7 with only one out.

That is as close as LSU would get to making a comeback as they lost Game 2 8-7. The rubber match of the series will be played on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

LSU softball evens series with No. 4 Tennessee in Game 2 shutout win

After they were shut out in Game 1, the Tigers returned the favor on Saturday.

After a frustrating loss in Game 1 against the Tennessee Volunteers in which it was shut out, the LSU softball team returned the favor in Saturday’s Game 2.

[autotag]Kelley Lynch[/autotag] pitched a complete game without allowing any runs to cross as the Tigers held on for a slim 1-0 win to even the series against the No. 4 Vols.

It was another low-scoring game early on, and neither side added a run until the fourth inning. That came courtesy of LSU’s [autotag]Raeleen Gutierrez[/autotag], who hit a solo shot to give her team a 1-0 lead, though that was all the Tigers managed in the frame.

Tennessee struggled to answer, though. It stranded two runners in the fourth and another in the fifth.

Lynch allowed a single in the bottom of the seventh, but that was it as she finished the game allowing just four hits with no runs while striking out six batters.

The Tigers will be back in action on Sunday as they look to take the series on the road in Game 3, which starts at 1 p.m. CT.

LSU baseball run-rules Missouri in Game 1

Gage Jump finished the game with seven innings pitched, and he allowed only one run on three hits, 14 strikeouts and one walk.

This is the LSU team we have all been waiting on this season. The offense was smashing the ball and the pitching was on point as LSU opened its road series against Missouri with a 12-1 run-rule win in Game 1.

[autotag]Gage Jump[/autotag] got the start on the mound for the matchup and was great. Jump finished the game with seven innings pitched and he allowed only one run on three hits, 14 strikeouts and one walk.

LSU started the scoring in the top of the first when [autotag]Ashton Larson[/autotag] hit an RBI double to score [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] and make it 1-0 Tigers.

In the top of the second inning, [autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] hit a solo homer to increase the lead to 2-0. The Tigers then broke the game wide open in the top of the third when they scored six runs. [autotag]Stephen Milam[/autotag] hit a solo homer, [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] hit a three-run homer, [autotag]Michael Braswell III[/autotag] hit an RBI double, and [autotag]Paxton Kling[/autotag] hit an RBI double to extend the lead to 8-0.

In the bottom of the third, Missouri scored a run to cut the lead to 8-1. In the top of the fourth inning, LSU scored three more runs. [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] hit a two-run homer and Travinski scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 11-1.

In the top of the sixth inning, Jones scored on a fielder’s choice to increase the lead to 12-1 as the Tigers looked to win via the run rule. Game 2 of the series will be Saturday at 4 p.m. CT.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

LSU softball shut out in series opener at No. 4 Tennessee

LSU couldn’t get much going offensively and nearly allowed a perfect game to Vols pitcher Payton Gotshall.

LSU has a crucial opportunity to earn a top-five series win at Tennessee this weekend, but coach Beth Torina’s softball team will once again start a game down after a 3-0 shutout loss on Friday night.

Vols pitcher Payton Gotshall nearly tossed a perfect game before she allowed a pair of singles in the top of the seventh, but that wasn’t enough to form the basis of an LSU rally.

After three scoreless and hitless innings, the Volunteers had a trio of singles in the third inning, one of which plated a run. Two other runs scored on a fielder’s choice and a throwing error, as well, as UT claimed the 3-0 midway through the game.

[autotag]Sydney Berzon[/autotag] was good on the mound outside of that inning, allowing no more hits in the final two frames. But LSU’s offense couldn’t do anything with the way Gotshall was pitching.

The Tigers will be back in action in Game 2 on Saturday at 11 a.m. as they look to even the series.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Instant analysis of Patriots re-signing S Kyle Dugger to four-year deal

The Patriots had one of the top defensive units in 2023, and Kyle Dugger re-signing ensures that group remains mostly intact.

Kyle Dugger’s contract situation hanging in limbo came to an end on Sunday with the starting safety agreeing to a massive four-year extension with the New England Patriots.

The deal has a base value of $58 million and can go up to $66 million. It contains $32.5 million in guarantees, which is the fifth-most guaranteed money for an NFL safety, per Over The Cap.

At $14.5 million annually, Dugger got a slight bump from the $13.8 million on his transition tag.

The move makes it a near clean sweep for the Patriots in retaining their in-house free agents. It’s also a solid deal for a player like Dugger, who has yet to make an All-Pro or Pro Bowl team in his career.

Make no mistake, he has been tremendously impactful in his role in the Patriots’ defensive backfield, but he has yet to break into that top-tier safety group in the NFL.

Of course, that hardly matters for what he’s meant to New England.

Dugger has stepped up as a leader for the team since Devin McCourty retired last year. The last thing the team wanted was losing McCourty and Dugger in back-to-back years. Dugger’s return should ensure the Patriots remain one of the top defensive units in the league in 2024.

Of course, it can’t answer for the many questions still remaining on the offensive side of the ball. The Patriots are still unsettled at quarterback, the offensive line is a disaster waiting to happen and the wide receiver position still lacks a true No. 1 target.

A better perspective would be considering Dugger’s long-term security clearing the road to a more offensive-focused draft for New England. There is no longer a need to focus on safety with considerations of how Dugger’s contract situation would unfold.

De facto general manager Eliot Wolf can now check that off the list and focus on bigger issues at hand.

LSU softball falls in series opener at Florida

The Tigers stumbled in Game 1 on the road against the Gators.

The Tigers began a tough weekend series on the road against the Florida Gators with a 4-1 loss on Saturday.

It was a low-scoring game for most of its duration, and LSU was held hitless until the sixth inning. However, it did strike first against the Gators with an RBI single in that frame from [autotag]Raeleen Gutierrez[/autotag].

Florida answered in the bottom of the inning, though, with an RBI single of their own followed by a three-run homer as UF quickly took control of the game.

The Tigers tried to rally in the seventh and scored a run to cut the lead to two, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a series-opening loss. They’ll return to the field for Game 2 against the Gators on Sunday at noon CT.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

LSU baseball suffers another Game 3 run-rule loss as Vanderbilt takes series

The Commodores run-ruled LSU on Saturday to take the series.

LSU had two chances to get their first conference series win of the season after winning against Vanderbilt on Thursday evening. They could not make it happen as a late rally won Game 2 for Vandy and then the Commodores run-ruled LSU today to take the series.

The Commodores plated five runs in the first three innings before LSU was able to respond. [autotag]Paxton Kling[/autotag] scored due to a throwing error in the bottom of the third inning as LSU would cut the lead to 5-1.

Vandy went on to score two runs in the top of the fourth, one run in the top of the fifth, and three runs in the top of the sixth inning to extend their lead to 11-1. [autotag]Javen Coleman[/autotag] was charged with three runs, [autotag]Will Hellmers[/autotag] was charged with two runs, [autotag]Cam Johnson[/autotag] was charged with two runs, [autotag]Christian Little[/autotag] was charged with one run, and [autotag]Jaden Noot[/autotag] was charged with three runs today.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] hit a two-run homer to cut the Commodore lead to 11-3.

Vandy scored a run in the top of the seventh and the eighth inning to win the game via run rule 13-3. LSU will be back in action on Tuesday as the Tigers take on McNeese at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

LSU softball withstands ULM firepower in midweek win on Tuesday night

LSU’s winning streak extended to six games on Tuesday night against the Warhawks.

It wasn’t easy for the LSU softball team on Tuesday night in its midweek matchup against ULM. It allowed eight hits and had to overcome three separate deficits, but it ultimately pulled away to earn its 30th win of the season with a 7-4 victory.

The first inning was an eventful one. ULM (22-15) started the frame with three hits including a double that plated a pair of runs to give it the early lead.

But LSU (30-4) answered in the bottom of the first as [autotag]Ali Newland[/autotag] led off with a full-count homer. A sacrifice groundout from [autotag]Raeleen Gutierrez[/autotag] tied the game at two, but the Tigers couldn’t retake the lead.

The Warhawks retook the lead in the second with an RBI single as LSU wasn’t quite able to make a tag at home, and that ended a short start for [autotag]Emilee Casanova[/autotag], who was chased from the game in favor of [autotag]Raelin Chaffin[/autotag].

The Tigers would tie the game at three in the bottom of the frame as [autotag]Maddox McKee[/autotag] hit a two-out single to score a run. Once again, though, LSU couldn’t protect the tie as Chaffin allowed a double and an RBI single as ULM reclaimed a 4-3 lead.

But for the third inning in a row, the Tigers answered. [autotag]Karli Petty[/autotag] hit a sacrifice fly, and [autotag]McKenzie Redoutey[/autotag] hit a three-run homer in the next at-bat as LSU jumped out to a 7-4 advantage.

There were no runs scored in the final four frames, and the Warhawks struggled to keep things going on offense, though they did ultimately strand a pair of baserunners in that span.

Now, the Tigers will prepare to hit the road for a big-time matchup on the road between top 10 teams as it draws Florida for a weekend series that begins Saturday.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

LSU baseball dominated by Southern in midweek loss Monday night

Unfortunately, this is not an April Fools’ joke. The Southern Jaguars dominated the LSU Tigers at Alex Box Stadium on Monday night.

Unfortunately, this is not an April Fools’ joke. The Southern Jaguars dominated the LSU Tigers at Alex Box Stadium on Monday night.

Southern won the game 12-7 and LSU did not lead at any point. LSU cut the lead to 3-2 entering the fifth inning but that was as close as they could get.

[autotag]Kade Anderson[/autotag] started on the mound as the Tigers looked to bounce back against Southern after being swept by Arkansas.

In the top of the second inning, Southern got on the board first with a three-run homer against Anderson to give them a 3-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth inning, [autotag]Ben Nippolt[/autotag] hit a sacrifice fly and [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] had a sacrifice bunt to cut the lead to 3-2.

In the top of the fifth inning, Southern did some damage against [autotag]Christian Little[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Loer[/autotag] as they scored five more runs to increase their lead to 8-2. In the bottom of the fifth, [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] had an RBI groundout and [autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] hit a two-run homer to cut the lead to 8-5.

In the top of the sixth, an LSU error led to another run for Southern as they increased their lead to 9-5. In the bottom of the sixth, [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 9-6.

In the bottom of the eighth, Jared Jones hit a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 9-7. In the top of the ninth, [autotag]Michael Braswell III[/autotag] committed his second error of the evening leading to another run for Southern. A fielder’s choice and another error led to more runs for Southern as they increased their lead to 12-7.

LSU will host No. 6 Vanderbilt this weekend. Game 1 of the series is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. CT.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.