BATON ROUGE — The sixth-ranked LSU softball team outscored Alcorn State, 26-3, as the Tigers swept a mid-week doubleheader, 14-3 in five innings and 12-0 in five innings, on Tuesday evening at Tiger Park.
After giving up three runs in the top of the first inning of game one, LSU held the Lady Braves scoreless the remainder of the doubleheader. The Tigers improved to 19-1 on the year, their best start in school history while riding an eight-game winning streak. The Lady Braves fell to 2-11 on the season. The Tigers remained undefeated against Alcorn State, improving to 3-0 in the overall series.
“I’m disappointed in the three runs we gave up,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “We were kind of sleep walking in the first inning and then we woke up and it was total domination like we hoped it would be.”
Putting up the most runs of the season, LSU recorded five doubles in each game, with 16 total stolen bases. With eight steals in each game, the Tigers tied for the second most team stolen bases in a game in school history. Both Dee Dee Henderson and Jazz Jackson tied the individual school record for steals with three each in both games.
Killian Roessner was a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate in the doubleheader, including a pair of doubles, a home run and six RBIs. Leslie Klein went 5-for-6 with two doubles and four RBIs, and now sits just three behind the LSU career doubles record with 50. Henderson and Jackson both had four-hit performances with three stolen bases each and a total of 11 runs scored between them.
In the first game, Tiffany Garcia earned the complete-game win to improve to 4-0 on the season. She allowed three runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Cody Trahan earned the complete-game win in the nightcap to improve to 2-0 on the year. She allowed just one bloop single and a walk with 10 strikeouts while facing just one over the minimum.
“Cody was just dominating,” said Girouard. “She was probably a better match-up against Alcorn State than Tiffany because she’s up with more power. You could tell by their swings that she was probably going to rack up a lot of strikeouts. Every time Cody has been given an opportunity, she has shined.”
Alcorn State came out and got on the board in the top of the first inning, putting up three runs. Melissa Mason was hit by the first pitch of the game. A single through the left side by Jeralyn Gates put runners on first and second.
On a fielder’s choice by Michelle Obront, everyone was safe on the play. An infield ground out by Rebecca Mason scored Melissa Mason for the first run of the game. Rachel Merriweather then singled to right center to score Gates and Obront.
The Tigers came back to take the lead in the bottom half of the inning. LSU had three doubles, all of which resulted in an RBI, and a sacrifice fly to pull ahead for good, 4-3.
Four stolen bases and a wild pitch led to four more runs in the second. The Tigers also got their fourth double of the game RBI singles by Quinlan Duhon and Roessner. LSU added two more runs in the third on a wild pitch and an RBI single by Duhon.
The Tigers closed out the scoring in the fourth with four more runs. An RBI single by Henderson and a two-run error by the Lady Braves third baseman sent the score to the final of 14-3 in five innings.
Tynetta Sims took the complete-game loss for Alcorn to fall to 1-4 on the year. She allowed 14 runs, 11 earned, on 13 hits with six walks and a strikeout.
In the nightcap, LSU jumped out with four runs in the bottom of the first. The Tigers got a two-RBI single by Klein, an RBI ground out by Mitchell and an RBI double by Roessner in the inning.
LSU exploded for seven runs with one out in the second. Klein recorded another two-RBI single, while Soto added two more runs on a single to right field and Roessner capped the inning with a three-run home run to left field.
Alcorn got its only hit of the game in the top of the third. Vivian Smith led off with a bloop single just out of the reach of Mitchell at third down the left field line. Trahan then struck out the next two batters before Smith was picked off at first to end the inning.
The Tigers closed out the scoring in the bottom half of the inning. LSU got an RBI ground out by Mitchell to run the score to the final of 12-0 in five innings.
Corina Pendleton took the complete game loss to fall to 1-4 on the season. She allowed 12 runs, 11 earned, on 11 hits with five walks and a strikeout.
The Tigers travel to Seattle this weekend for the University of Washington Tournament. LSU will take on North Dakota State on Friday at noon (CT), before facing Portland State at 2:30 p.m. (CT). On Saturday, the Tigers will again face the Vikings at 11 a.m. (CT) before taking on No. 14 Washington at 3:45 p.m. LSU will close out the tournament against the Bison on Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT). The Tigers return home for a mid-week game against McNeese State on Wednesday at 6 p.m. The game will be televised by Cox Sports Television.