Softball Sweeps Purple & Gold Challenge

The No. 24 Tigers picked up six more wins on the season, going undefeated as part of the Purple & Gold Challenge.

At the plate, Danieca Coffee continued her breakout performance of 2022, going 11-of-21 over the weekend with two doubles, and picked up two RBI in the 8-0, five inning run rule win over Purdue and two RBI in the 12-4 run rule win over Drake.

Georgia Clark also had a strong weekend, picking up 10 RBI on four hits, two of which were home runs. Shelbi Sunseri also had a good stretch at the plate, with six hits, including two home runs, and scoring four times.

Sunseri also came up clutch from the circle. After a rocky start in the 10-4 Tiger win over SFA, in which she allowed three earned in four innings, her complete game effort in the 10-inning 3-2 victory over Drake, in which she allowed two unearned runs while striking out 11, was invaluable to a struggling Tiger offense. Shelby Wickersham was also solid over the weekend, tossing five innings and striking out six, while taking the win in the 17-0 inning run rule win vs Purdue.

The top Tiger pitcher this weekend was once again Ali Kilponen. Over three games, Kilponen pitched two complete game shutouts and struck out 15, including 11 against SFA in the 5-0 win to close out the weekend stretch.

Shortstop Taylor Pleasants had her strongest weekend, going six-of-18 with two home runs and recording an RBI in five of the six games.

With three series into the books, the identity of the Tigers are coming into form.

Pitching continues to be the backbone of this team anchored by Sunseri and Kilponen, with Wickersham slowly rounding into form. Kilponen currently sits with the seventh most strikeouts in the conference and leads the conference in strikeouts looking and innings pitched.

Offensively, the top of the lineup featuring Coffee and Ciarra Briggs continues to be a great one-two punch, with both players ranking in the top-10 in the SEC in hit. LSU is also a disciplined group, entering Monday with the second most walks in the SEC with 71. Speed is another strong factor with LSU’s 30 swipes second only to the Gators in the SEC.

LSU wraps up its last out of conference slate before SEC begins, hosting the LSU Invitational which features a pair of local teams in LA Tech and No. 20 ULL.