Softball Opens SEC Play with Series Win Over Bama

The No. 21 Tigers picked up their biggest series win over the year taking two of three from the No. 2 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

LSU’s bats powered the team in the series opener with a 13-6 win which featured a big game from Taylor Pleasants. Pleasants posted two hits, including a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth, as part six-run Tiger fifth inning which saw LSU go from trailing 6-5 to leading 11-6. On top of Pleasants performance, the Tigers got contributions in the inning with RBI singles from Danica Coffey and McKenzie Redoutey along with a Presleigh Pilon RBI triple.

The other big inning for the Tigers came in the second, with the Tigers scoring two runs on RBI to walks by Coffey and Georgia Clark, and then Redoutey scored on a wild pitch.

Along with Pleasants two hits, Clark, Coffey and Ciarra Briggs had two hits each. Raeleen Gutierez went three-for-four with three runs scored.

From the circle, a combined effort from Shelbi Sunseri, Ali Kilponen and Shelby Wickersham held the Tide bats mostly under control.

In Game two, big time pitching a clutch hitting paved the way for that 5-1 victory. The entire Tiger offense came from Georgia Clark. In the third inning, after intentionally walking Pleasants, Clark launched a 2-0 pitch to left field for the grand slam. She added an insurance home run with a solo shot in the sixth.

On the pitching side, the Tigers got an amazing performance out of Raelin Chaffin. The freshman threw a complete game allowing one run on one hit, striking out five, and allowing zero walks for her third win of the season.

The finale of the series saw the Tigers drop a 2-1 pitchers duel. Kilponen was strong in her performance, allowing two runs in seven innings while striking out six. LSU’s lone run came on a Briggs sac fly which scored Coffey, who had two hits.

All in all, this was a great weekend for the Tigers. Although the Tigers entered this series with a .731 winning percentage, there had been a handful of losses which the Tigers should have won. In what could be the best team the Tigers play during the regular season, this is big statement to show this team can be competitive in the conference slate. This was a balanced effort all they way through with a different star in each of the games. It is that kind of distribution that Tigers will need if they want to succeed in the regular season and make an impact in the postseason.

Up next for the Tigers is a home game against Southeastern Louisiana, followed by a three-game road series to Austin to face the Texas Longhorns.