LSU softball saved arguably its best offensive performance of the season for a good time.
Facing one of the nation’s top pitchers in Stanford’s NiJaree Canady to open super regional play on Friday night, the Tigers shelled her en route to an 11-1 run-rule win in five innings.
LSU got things going on offense early. After a single and an error that allowed a runner to reach to lead off the top of the first, [autotag]Kelley Lynch[/autotag] hit an RBI double, followed by a two-RBI single from [autotag]Raeleen Gutierrez[/autotag] as it was 3-0 with no outs yet in the game.
But that was all the Tigers managed, and after Stanford got a run back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single, things were quiet until the fifth inning. [autotag]Ali Newland[/autotag] and [autotag]Maci Bergergon[/autotag] added to that lead with a pair of RBI homers as LSU led 7-1.
That wasn’t all the Tigers had in store. After three straight singles, Lynch completely broke the game open with a grand slam, giving the team an 11-1 lead that was at the run-rule margin.
The lead ultimately held as LSU finished things up early in the fifth. Now, coach Beth Torina’s team will go into Saturday’s Game 2 with the chance to punch its first ticket to the Women’s College World Series since 2017.
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