Tag: LSU Softball

LSU softball sweeps Mississippi with 8-0 shutout in Game 3

Ali Kilponen’s fourth shutout of the year on the mound helped the Tigers cap off a perfect weekend.

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.

Directly support LSU Softball by joining the Diamondbackers today!

For the latest news and information on Tiger softball, visit www.lsusports.net/softball. Fans can also follow the team on its social media outlets at www.facebook.com/lsusoftball and @lsusoftball on Instagram and Twitter.

No. 15 LSU softball beats Mississippi State in Game 2 to take series

The Tigers’ offense erupted for 10 runs in Saturday’s win.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 15 LSU (36-11, 9-8 SEC) saw every starter record at least one hit en route to a 10-4 victory over Mississippi State (24-21, 3-13 SEC) to win the series Saturday night at Tiger Park.

“I like how we continued to battle back when we were down,” said Head Coach Beth Torina. “Our ability to create pressure was awesome. The offense really set the tone and allowed the defense to play free and aggressive.”

Freshman pitcher Alea Johnson improved to 7-0 after tossing one strikeout and allowing no runs and three hits in 5.1 innings of relief.

LSU’s 10 runs and 15 hits are the most against an SEC opponent this season. The Tigers also improved to 11-0 on the season when they score 10 or more runs in a game.

Graduate infielder Karli Petty led the way offensively, setting a career-high with three and matched her career-best four RBIs. Petty was a double short of hitting the cycle as she logged her third home run and triple Saturday night.

“Petty was awesome tonight,” said Coach Torina. “She’s worked really hard on making some adjustments and it was nice to see it pay off.”

Junior infielder Taylor Pleasants logged back-to-back games with three hits and added an RBI and one walk. Junior catcher Ali Newland went 2-for-4 with three ribbies, and graduate outfielder Savannah Stewart rounded out Tigers with multiple hits on the night, recording two hits for the second time this season.

Mississippi State’s senior pitcher Aspen Wesley (6-7) was charged with the loss, allowing seven runs on ten hits and two walks in 3.1 innings.

Mississippi State’s senior infielder Aquana Brownlee put the Bulldogs on the board with a three-run homer in the top of the first, but the Tigers answered with two runs of their own thanks to a two-out two-run single from Newland in the bottom half inning.

The Bulldogs scored again in the second, this time on a solo shot from senior outfielder Chloe Malau’ulu to take a 4-2 lead.

After two scoreless innings, LSU’s bats caught fire, scoring seven runs on six hits in the fourth frame. Three RBI singles from junior outfielder Ciara Briggs, Pleasants and Newland, followed by a three-run triple from Petty gave the Tigers an 8-4 advantage, and LSU plated one more run on a passed ball to end the inning with a 9-4 lead.

Petty added an insurance run for LSU in the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer to extend the lead, 10-4.

The Bulldogs put a runner on second, but a double play on the second batter of the inning shut down the threat, and Briggs made a diving catch for the final out to secure the win.

On Deck

LSU and Mississippi State will conclude their three game series Sunday at 2 p.m

Directly support LSU Softball by joining the Diamondbackers today!

For the latest news and information on Tiger softball, visit www.lsusports.net/softball. Fans can also follow the team on its social media outlets at www.facebook.com/lsusoftball and @lsusoftball on Instagram and Twitter.

No. 15 LSU softball captures Game 1 against Mississippi State, 7-1

The Tigers began the weekend on a high note Friday night.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 15 LSU (35-11, 8-8 SEC) opened the series against Mississippi State (24-20, 3-12 SEC) with a 7-1 victory Friday night at Tiger Park.

“I thought it was a great win,” said Head Coach Beth Torina. “It was a team win. We had good pitching on the mound and some good offensive performances. Danieca [Coffey] did a great job leading us off in the first inning and the rest of the team just followed.”

Head Coach Beth Torina coached her 699th game for LSU today, surpassing Yvette Girouard for the most games coached in LSU Softball history. Coach Torina has been at the helm of the program for 12 seasons and has a 485-214 record at LSU.

Freshman pitcher Sydney Berzon (13-5) threw a complete game Friday night where she tossed eight strikeouts and allowed no runs on six hits. Berzon now has 106 strikeouts this season and becomes the first LSU freshman pitcher with 100 strikeouts in a season since Carley Hoover in 2015.

Junior infielder Taylor Pleasants recorded her 10th game this season with multiple hits after setting a new season-high with three hits. Pleasants also finished with two RBIs to record her 15th multi-RBI game this season. Junior infielder Danieca Coffey and junior outfielder Ciara Briggs both recorded two hits on the night while graduate designated player Georgia Clark and junior catcher Ali Newland both recorded two RBIs.

Mississippi State’s senior pitcher Matalasi Faapito (4-5) was charged with the loss after allowing four runs on seven hits in 1.1 innings.

After Berzon struck out the side to start the game, the Tigers scored three runs in the opening inning for the second straight game. From leadoff to cleanup, the Tigers rattled off four consecutive singles that included a two-run base hit from Clark. The next at bat, Newland wore a pitch before graduate infielder Karli Petty hit a sac fly to left field to cross the third run of the frame.

Graduate outfielder Savannah Stewart and Coffey led off the second with a pair of singles, and Pleasants drove a one-run double to center field to increase the lead, 4-0.

Berzon kept the Bulldogs offense at bay, allowing just two hits from the third through sixth innings. The Tigers added three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth via an RBI single from Pleasants and a two RBI double by Newland to push the lead to 7-0.

Mississippi State plated its first run of the game in the seventh, but were unable to do anymore damage as the Tigers captured game one of the series, 7-1.

On Deck

The series between LSU and Mississippi State will continue Saturday at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

Directly support LSU Softball by joining the Diamondbackers today!

For the latest news and information on Tiger softball, visit www.lsusports.net/softball. Fans can also follow the team on its social media outlets at www.facebook.com/lsusoftball and @lsusoftball on Instagram and Twitter.

No. 15 LSU softball takes on Mississippi State in 3-game series

The Tigers will look to bounce back after a series loss to Auburn and a midweek defeat against McNeese.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 15 LSU (34-11, 7-8 SEC) will challenge Mississippi State (24-19, 3-11 SEC) in a three-game series April 21-23 at Tiger Park.

The series opening game will be at 6 p.m. CT Friday, April 21 and will be streamed on SEC Network+. Saturday’s game at 7 p.m. CT will be the annual Strikeout Ovarian Cancer / All for Alex game and will be televised on ESPN2. The series will conclude with first pitch slated for 2 p.m. CT Sunday, April 23 on SEC Network+. Both game on SEC Network+ will be called by Lyn Rollins and Yvette Girouard while Saturday’s game on ESPN2 will be called by Chuckie Kempf and Kayla Braud. Fans can listen to all the action with Patrick Wright, the Voice of LSU Softball, on 107.3 FM in the Baton Rouge area.

Saturday will be a special day at Tiger Park for the annual Strikeout Ovarian Cancer Game / All for Alex game when the SEC softball community unite, and all 13 teams participate by wearing teal for the “All for Alex” campaign to honor the legacy of Mississippi State’s Alex Wilcox. Prior to the game will be the 10th annual Geaux Teal Ovarian Cancer Awareness Walk that will take place after a short ceremony that begins at 10 a.m. at Tiger Park. Willing participants can register for the mile and a half walk by clicking here. Participants can also register Saturday morning at Tiger Park.

LSU has dropped four of its last five contests entering the weekend. The Tigers rank No. 2 in the SEC with 366 hits behind a .311 batting average which sits as the third-best in the conference. LSU also has the third-lowest ERA in the league at 1.98.

Junior infielder Danieca Coffey leads the SEC with 59 hits (No. 12 in the NCAA) and ranks No. 6 with a .407 batting average. Coffey also leads the Tigers with 34 runs scored and matches junior outfielder Ciara Briggs with a team-high nine stolen bases. Briggs has a .342 batting average, and her 50 hits ranks No. 6 in the SEC to go along with 33 runs scored.

Junior shortstop Taylor Pleasants is batting .327 this season with 42 RBIs (No. 7 in SEC) and has 37 hits, eight home runs and 25 runs scored. Pleasants ranks No. 5 in program history with 37 career home runs and No. 8 all-time with 160 career RBIs.

Graduate infielder Georgia Clark has a .298 batting average and has tallied 36 hits and ranks No. 5 in the SEC with 33 walks. Clark has a team-high 10 home runs this season and adds 32 RBIs. Clark sits at No. 4 in LSU softball history with 40 career home runs, No. 3 with 122 career walks, and No. 10 with 151 career RBIs.

Freshman pitcher Sydney Berzon (12-5) ranks No. 9 in the SEC with 98 strikeouts and has a 1.64 ERA in 102.1 innings pitched. Berzon’s 98 punch outs are the 8th most in program history from a freshman and she currently ranks No. 2 in the SEC for most strikeouts as a freshman.

Graduate pitcher Ali Kilponen is 10-5 in the circle and has a 2.31 ERA behind 88 strikeouts (No. 11 in the SEC). Kilponen has tossed 10 complete games with three shutouts and three saves in 100.0 innings pitched. Kilponen ranks No. 10 all-time in the program’s history with 54 career wins and her 450 career strikeouts ranks No. 9 in the program’s record book.

THE LINEUP

LSU is 58-12 all-time against Mississippi State. The Tigers won the three-game series against the Bulldogs last season in Starkville, Miss., but are currently on a two-game losing streak in head-to-head meetings after dropping the regular season finale last year and losing 7-4 in nine innings in the 2022 SEC Tournament.

Mississippi State just ended a nine-game losing streak with a 5-0 victory over Memphis on April 19. The Bulldogs are nursing an 11-game losing streak in SEC play with their last win coming against South Carolina on March 19. Overall, MSU has a .257 batting average and a 2.79 ERA although they can be dominant in the circle as they rank No. 3 in the SEC with 327 strikeouts and have a 2.97 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Senior infielder Aquana Brownlee leads the team with a .319 batting average and 38 hits to go along with 29 RBIs and 20 runs. Senior infielder Paige Cook follows with a .315 average at the plate and leads the team with eight home runs, 32 RBIs and a .602 slugging percentage.

Mississippi State has a deep pitching staff with five players logging over 40 innings pitched. Freshman pitcher Josey Marron (7-2) and senior pitcher Aspen Wesley (6-6) leads the team with 80 strikeouts each. Marron has a staff-best 2.18 ERA and has held opponents to a .190 batting average in 61.0 innings pitched. Wesley has a 2.46 ERA and has relinquished a .252 opposing batting average in a staff-high 65.1 innings pitched.

ON DECK

LSU plays it final road SEC series April 28-30 against Alabama at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Directly support LSU Softball by joining the Diamondbackers today!

For the latest news and information on Tiger softball, visit www.lsusports.net/softball. Fans can also follow the team on its social media outlets at www.facebook.com/lsusoftball and @lsusoftball on Instagram and Twitter.

No. 15 LSU softball upset by McNeese in road midweek contest

The Tigers fall to 34-11 after the 4-3 loss on Tuesday night.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – No. 15 LSU (34-11) was on the losing side of a 4-3 decision to McNeese (33-12) Tuesday night at Joe Miller Field.

Freshman pitcher Sydney Berzon (12-4) received the loss Tuesday night where she threw three strikeouts and gave up one run on one hit. Her three strikeouts moved her into eighth place for strikeouts as a freshman in program history with 98 K’s this season.

Graduate pitcher Ali Kilponen started the game and threw 4.0 innings where she tossed two strikeouts and allowed three runs on four hits.

Graduate infielder Karli Petty went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Junior infielders Raeleen Gutierrez and Taylor Pleasants both put together one-hit, one-RBI performances on the night.

McNeese pitcher Ashley Vallejo (13-7) earned the win Tuesday night. She struck out two batters and allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks.

The Tigers started fast by loading the bases with one out on a hit and two walks. From there, Petty, Gutierrez and Pleasants hit three consecutive RBI singles to bring home three runs in the top of the first inning.

The Cowgirls evened the score in the third, highlighted by a two-run homer from junior catcher Emily Phillips. Two innings later, McNeese took a 4-3 lead after crossing one run in the sixth stanza.

The Tigers were unable to plate another run in the seventh, dropping game two against McNeese, 4-3 to split the regular season series.

On Deck

Up next for LSU is a three-game series versus Mississippi State April 21-23 at Tiger Park.

Directly support LSU Softball by joining the Diamondbackers today!

For the latest news and information on Tiger softball, visit www.lsusports.net/softball. Fans can also follow the team on its social media outlets at www.facebook.com/lsusoftball and @lsusoftball on Instagram and Twitter.

No. 12 LSU softball faces McNeese to conclude non-conference schedule

The Tigers will look to finish non-conference play on a high note.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 12/13 LSU (34-10) will have its final midweek game of the season to round out its non-conference schedule against McNeese (32-12) at 6 p.m. CT at Joe Miller Field in Lake Charles, La.

Tuesday’s game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Tom Hoefer and Ron Hayes on the call. Fans can hear Patrick Wright, the Voice of LSU Softball, on 107.3 FM in the Baton Rouge area.

The Tigers look to bounce back after falling in its three-game series at No. 21/24 Auburn last weekend, 2-1. LSU ranks No. 2 in the SEC with 358 hits and No. 3 in the league with a .312 batting average. The Tigers also have the third-lowest ERA at 1.97.

Junior infielder Danieca Coffey continues to lead the SEC with 59 hits and ranks No. 5 with a .418 batting average. Coffey also leads the Tigers with 34 runs scored and matches junior outfielder Ciara Briggs with a team-high nine stolen bases. Briggs has a .345 batting average, and her 49 hits ranks No. 6 in the SEC to go along with 32 runs scored.

Graduate infielder Georgia Clark is batting .305 with 36 hits and ranks No. 5 in the SEC with 32 walks. Clark has a team-high 10 home runs this season and adds 32 RBIs. Clark sits at No. 4 in LSU softball history with 40 career home runs, No. 3 with 121 career walks, and No. 10 with 151career RBIs.

Junior shortstop Taylor Pleasants is batting .324 this season with 41 RBIs (No. 7 in SEC) and has 36 hits, eight home runs and 25 runs scored. Pleasants ranks No. 5 in program history with 37 career home runs and No. 8 all-time with 159 career RBIs.

Freshman pitcher Sydney Berzon (12-4) ranks No. 8 in the SEC with 95 strikeouts and has a 1.67 ERA in 100.1 innings pitched. Berzon’s 95 punch outs are the 9th most in program history from a freshman.

Graduate pitcher Ali Kilponen is 10-5 in the circle and has a 2.26 ERA behind 86 strikeouts (No. 11 in the SEC). Kilponen has tossed 10 complete games with three shutouts and three saves in 96.0 innings pitched. Kilponen ranks No. 10 all-time in the program’s history with 54 career wins and her 448 career strikeouts ranks No. 9 in the program’s record book.

THE LINEUP

LSU is 52-12 all-time against McNeese, including a 6-2 win earlier this season on March 21 at Tiger Park. The Tigers have won 13 consecutive games against the Cowgirls and are 7-1 this season against teams from the state of Louisiana.

McNeese is on a six-game winning streak and boasts a 14-1 record at home. The Cowgirls most recently swept Nicholls State. McNeese is hitting .299 and has 329 hits this season. The Cowgirls’ pitching staff has a 2.04 ERA with 205 strikeouts and allows its opponents a .232 batting average.

Sophomore infielder Mariana Torres leads McNeese with a .336 batting average behind 38 hits and has a team-high of 10 doubles and 32 RBIs. Sophomore infielder Reese Reyna follows with a .331 average and senior outfielder Alayis Seneca is batting .328. Both have a team-high 39 hits. Reyna paces the team with 21 stolen bases and Seneca has 18 stolen bases.

Senior pitcher Whitney Tate (13-3) has a staff-low 1.49 ERA and has thrown 64 strikeouts while giving up 99 hits and 35 runs in 113.0 innings pitched. Junior pitcher Ashley Vallejo (12-7) has a 2.40 ERA but has a team-high 84 strikeouts in 90.1 innings pitched. Tate has thrown seven shutouts this season, while Vallejo has logged five shutouts.

ON DECK

LSU will host Mississippi State at Tiger Park April 22-24. Saturday, April 23 will be the annual Strikeout Ovarian Cancer Game when the SEC softball community unite, and all 13 teams participate by wearing teal for the “All for Alex” campaign to honor the legacy of Mississippi State’s Alex Wilcox.

Directly support LSU Softball by joining the Diamondbackers today!

For the latest news and information on Tiger softball, visit www.lsusports.net/softball. Fans can also follow the team on its social media outlets at www.facebook.com/lsusoftball and @lsusoftball on Instagram and Twitter.

LSU softball drops series at Auburn with 1-0 loss in Game 3

The Tigers were blanked in Sunday’s rubber match.

AUBURN, Ala. – No. 12/13 LSU (34-10, 7-8 SEC) lost a heartbreaker to No. 21/24 Auburn (32-13, 9-6 SEC), 1-0 in nine innings Sunday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field.

“Our team fought hard,” said Head Coach Beth Torina. “We played one of the nations best pitchers and she had a really good day today. I thought our pitchers matched her pitch for pitch, but we didn’t get the final timely hit.”

Freshman pitcher Sydney Berzon (12-4) was charged with the loss Sunday after throwing six strikeouts and allowed one run on four hits in 5.2 innings of work. Berzon moves into 9th place for most strikeouts as a freshman in program history with 95 punch outs this season.

Sophomore pitcher Raelin Chaffin got the nod to start the game but received no decision after 3.0 innings in the circle. She struck out one batter and held Auburn’s offense to no runs on three hits and three walks.

Graduate designated player Georgia Clark, graduate infielder Karli Petty, junior outfielder Ciara Briggs and junior catcher Ali Newland all recorded one hit on the afternoon.

Auburn’s junior pitcher Shelby Lowe (4-4) collected the win, throwing one strikeout and holding LSU to no hits and no runs through 0.1 innings. Junior pitcher Maddie Pentra did much of the heavy lifting with seven strikeouts in 8.2 innings.

Chaffin kept Auburn scoreless through 3.0 innings before Berzon entered the circle in the fourth with runners on first and second. After both runners moved to scoring position on a groundout, Berzon kept the shutout alive by striking out the final two batters of the frame.

The stalemate continued through six innings as Berzon retired the first seven batters she faced. In the seventh, Auburn put a runner on first with no outs, but Berzon struck out the next batter and Newland connected with Pleasants to stop the steal attempt at second. A groundout from the next batter forced LSU’s first extra innings game of the season.

LSU threatened in the ninth, putting runners on first and second with no outs, but a double play the next at bat ended the threat.

Auburn put a runner on first with one out before she advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. Junior outfielder Makayla Packer knocked a single to right field to drive in the game winning run from second.

On Deck

LSU will travel to Lake Charles, La. for their second matchup with McNeese State Tuesday, April 18th.

Directly support LSU Softball by joining the Diamondbackers today!

For the latest news and information on Tiger softball, visit www.lsusports.net/softball. Fans can also follow the team on its social media outlets at www.facebook.com/lsusoftball and @lsusoftball on Instagram and Twitter.

Women’s sports becoming a key part of LSU’s athletic identity

With a national title in women’s basketball and a growing interest in the gymnastics and softball programs, LSU is becoming the place to be for women’s sports.

With the LSU women taking the basketball national championship a few weeks ago, the softball success and the growing attention to gymnastics, attendance is skyrocketing for women’s sports at LSU.

As we’ve all seen, basketball superstar [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] has taken the national spotlight. She’s been on multiple sports shows including “NBA Today,” “SportsCenter” and “Get Up.” Gymnastics star [autotag]Olivia Dunne[/autotag] is currently the third-most valuable college athlete in the country per On3, landing multiple huge NIL deals including American Eagle and Forever 21.

LSU has arguably become the place to be for women’s athletics, and it doesn’t look like that will end any time soon. Women’s basketball coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] has produced a top recruiting class in the country, Tiger softball is currently ranked No. 12 in the country with attendance numbers up significantly in 2023, and the gymnastics team just finished fourth in the NCAA finals.

We are just scratching the surface of what could be for women’s athletics at LSU, and the Tigers brand has become increasingly valuable to women across the country.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1390]

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

[mm-video type=video id=01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s/01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s-de72a8f131d997d2c89a683bba155960.jpg]

No. 12 LSU softball takes Game 2 over No. 24 Auburn to even series

The Tigers will go for the series win at 3 p.m. CT Saturday.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

AUBURN, Ala. – Graduate designated player Georgia Clark hit a go-ahead home run in the fourth inning and No. 12/13 LSU (34-9, 7-7 SEC) prevailed and even the series with a 3-2 victory over No. 21/24 Auburn (31-13, 8-6 SEC) Saturday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field.

“I thought our defense played really well,” said Head Coach Beth Torina. “Sydney Berzon kept us in the ball game. Our defense was able to be really solid behind her. She forced a ton of ground balls and we played them all really well, so it was great to see our defense play that way.”

Freshman pitcher Sydney Berzon (12-3) pitched a complete game and threw four strikeouts and let up two runs on three hits and four walks in the win.

Clark paced the offense, hitting her tenth home run of the season and 40th of her career. Sophomore outfielder McKenzie Reedoutey put together a one-hit, one-RBI performance while junior infielder Raeleen Gutierrez and junior catcher Ali Newland tacked on one hit a piece. Freshman catcher Maci Bergeron logged a hit as well as a pinch hitter in the seventh to round out LSU’s five hits.

“Georgia Clark is the leader of our offense,” said Coach Torina. “For her to step up and get the one big swing is very fitting for what she does for this team.”

Auburn’s pitcher Shelby Lowe (3-4) got the start and went 4.0 innings before getting pulled. Lowe struck out five batters and gave up two runs on two hits. Annabelle Widra threw the remaining 3.0 innings and gave up three hits, one run and one walk, while striking out three batters.

After Berzon struck out two batters in the first and retired Auburn in order in the second, the home team found the run column thanks to a one-run single to take a 1-0 lead through three frames.

In the top of the fourth, Newland reached base on a single to left field before Clark gave LSU its first lead of the series with a two-run shot down the left field line.

LSU struck again with another run in the fifth. Gutierrez led off the inning by drawing a walk, and Redoutey brought her home with an RBI double to left center to increase the lead, 3-1.

Auburn cut into the lead with a leadoff homer in the sixth from senior outfielder Lindsey Garcia. Berzon went on to retire the next six batters to end the game, including a strikeout on the final batter to secure the 3-2 win.

On Deck

The series finale between LSU and Auburn will begin at 3 p.m. tomorrow and televised on ESPN2.

Directly support LSU Softball by joining the Diamondbackers today!

For the latest news and information on Tiger softball, visit www.lsusports.net/softball. Fans can also follow the team on its social media outlets at www.facebook.com/lsusoftball and @lsusoftball on Instagram and Twitter.

7th-inning rally not enough as LSU softball drops Game 1 at Auburn

The Tigers scored three runs in the final frame but couldn’t overcome an early deficit.

The No. 12 Tigers were shut out for six innings and change in Friday night’s series opener on the road against No. 24 Auburn, but they got something going in the final frame.

LSU scored three runs on a pair of homers from [autotag]Ali Newland[/autotag] and [autotag]Karli Petty[/autotag] in the top of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a five-run gap as AU took Game 1 by a score of 5-3.

[autotag]Ali Kilponen[/autotag] got the start for the Tigers (33-9, 6-7 SEC) on the mound, and it wasn’t her best outing as she allowed seven hits and four runs, all of them earned. She did only issue one walk in four innings with four strikeouts, but she was credited with her fifth loss of the season.

Maddie Penta, meanwhile, got the win for AU (31-12, 8-5 SEC) in a complete-game performance. She allowed six hits but was nearly perfect until the final frame despite not getting a ton of run support after the first inning.

Lindsey Garcia got the scoring started for Auburn on a two-run homer in the bottom of the first, and KK McCrary added one on an RBI single in the fourth. However, the insurance the Tigers ultimately needed came on another two-run bomb in the fifth, this time courtesy of Nelia Peralta.

LSU will look to stay alive in the series in Game 2 on Saturday, which starts at 1 p.m. CT in Auburn, Alabama.

[lawrence-auto-related count=2 category=693609636]

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

[mm-video type=video id=01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s/01gx3vb07gxv0hy3z96s-de72a8f131d997d2c89a683bba155960.jpg]