BATON ROUGE — The LSU softball game against McNeese State scheduled for Wednesday has been moved to Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Tiger Park because of the threat of rain in the area on Wednesday.
The Tigers (6-1) are coming off an undefeated sweep in the Tiger Classic last weekend. LSU posted a pair of wins over both Southern and Grambling and a win over Indiana. The Tigers outscored their opponents 44-3 in five games. The Cowgirls enter the game at 5-9 on the season after taking doubleheaders from Alcorn State and Jackson State last weekend.
“We are very grateful to McNeese for accommodating us in moving the game up a day to hopefully avoid the bad weather that is expected on Wednesday,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We need to play. The season is still very young for us and trying to reschedule a game later on could be tough. We look forward to welcoming a good McNeese team and playing at home in Tiger Park.”
LSU freshman Vanessa Soto was named the Most Valuable Player of the Tiger Classic. She went 9-for-18 with three doubles, two home runs and 14 RBIs in five games. The second baseman from San Diego currently leads LSU in doubles, home runs and RBIs on the season.
Freshman Quinlan Duhon leads the Tigers in batting average on the season at .476 and was named to the Tiger Classic All-Tournament team. The left fielder from Youngsville, recorded a pair of home runs last weekend and ranks second on the team with eight runs scored on the season.
As a team, LSU his batting at a remarkable .374 clip for the season. Five players top the .400 batting average, while the Tigers are ahead of their record-setting home run pace of a year ago, with eight already recorded this season. The Cowgirls are hitting .284 as a team this season. McNeese State is led by Beth Jordan with a .500 batting average, including four doubles, a triple, four home runs and 16 RBIs.
Sophomore Emily Turner was also a member of the Tiger Classic All-Tournament team and leads LSU with a 0.75 earned run average. With a 2-0 start, she has recorded a shutout and 25 strikeouts in 18.2 innings pitched. Freshman Megan Jolly has a 1.95 ERA and a 2-1 record with 16 strikeouts in 14.1 inning of work, while freshman Tiffany Garcia is 2-0 with a 1.27 ERA and 11 strikeouts.
Jana Jones has recorded the most inning of action for the Cowgirls in the circle. She has posted a 3.76 earned run average with 25 strikeouts in 35.1 innings of work. Meghan Novak sports a 3-3 record with a 4.32 ERA in 24.1 innings, while Jessica Denham is 0-3 with a 5.91 ERA in 21.1 innings. Carmen Sitig rounds out the pitching staff for McNeese State. She is 1-0 in five innings of work and has yet to allow a run to score.
In the circle, LSU boasts a 1.27 team earned run average. The Tigers have recorded thee shutouts and are averaging over eight strikeouts per game. McNeese State has a 4.23 ERA on the season as a team. The Cowgirls have posted two shutouts and average almost six strikeouts a game.
LSU is 11-0 all-time against McNeese State, including a 9-0 record at home, but the pair has not met since 2001. The Tigers have outscored the Cowgirls, 53-11, in their previous 11 meetings, including five shutouts. Girouard is 61-21 all-time against McNeese State, including a 2-0 record while at LSU. She has yet to face the Cowgirls in Tiger Park while the head coach of the Tigers.
This weekend, LSU will travel to defend its NFCA Leadoff Classic championship in Columbus, Ga. The Tigers went undefeated last season in the prestigious tournament to claim the title for the first time in school history. LSU posted wins over four top-10 team among its six wins on the way to the championship. The Tigers will take on nationally ranked Fresno State, Seton Hall, which LSU defeated in NCAA Regional play last season, and Texas State in pool play before advancing to bracket play on Saturday afternoon.