STARKVILLE, Miss. — The No. 21 LSU softball team stormed back with six runs over the final three innings to earn a 7-5 triumph Sunday to complete a weekend sweep over Mississippi State at the MSU Softball Field.
LSU (20-6, 7-2 SEC) used a balanced offensive assault and matched a season-high pounding out 14 hits, while Casey Faile faced the minimum over three innings allowing only one-hit to improve to 4-2.
“This team continues to battle and didn’t panic when they were behind,” head coach Yvette Girouard said. “Maybe youth is a good thing in this instance because sometimes they don’t know any better. I challenged Casey last week [at practice]. A huge pat on the back for her to come in and make the most of her opportunity the way she did.”
Down 5-1 in the fifth inning, Anissa Young jump-started the Tigers by belting a 3-1 pitch over the left centerfield fence.
A pair of singles by Jessica Mouse and Kirsten Shortridge coupled with Jazz Jackson getting hit-by-a pitch loaded the bases. Rachel Mitchell delivered a two-out, two-run single to draw the Tigers back to 5-4. The Texas native has drove home 11 RBIs over her last five games.
“Rachel continues to stay hot at the best time,” Girouard said. “She’s pretty to watch at the plate and validating her preseason All-SEC selection.”
Young was hit-by-a-pitch to start the sixth inning and pinch runner Katie Guillory came around to score as Mouse cranked a triple off the left field fence that stayed inches fair to knot the score at 5-5. Five pitches later, Shortridge tacked on the go-ahead run with a RBI-single to surge the Tigers ahead, 6-5.
“I pull the heck out of everything at the plate, and I was willing that ball to stay fair,” Mouse said. “The best thing about this team is that we stay together and believe in ourselves to come back even if it seems like we’re out of it sometimes.”
LSU added an insurance run via a Young RBI-single in the seventh inning to push the lead to 7-5.
Mississippi State attempted to rally in the home half of the frame as Kaili Smith opened with a leadoff. Faile ended the threat by snagging a line drive off the bat of Sammie Jo Bailey and doubled-off Smith at first base.
“You have to stay ready no matter what because you don’t know when coach [Girouard] is going to call your number,” Faile said. “I had my curve, screw and change-up all working to keep them off balanced.”
The Bulldogs (14-15, 0-9 SEC) scored runs each of the first four innings to build a 5-1 advantage. Smith knocked a RBI-triple in the first inning to even the score at 1-1 and teamed with Chelsea Bramlett for bases loaded walks during the second inning to give MSU a 3-1 advantage.
Mississippi State used a Courtney Nesbit RBI-double in the third inning along with an unearned run to make it 5-1 after four innings.
LSU finishes its Magnolia State road swing with a Tuesday doubleheader at Ole Miss. First pitch against the Rebels is scheduled for 4 p.m. and live stats will be available on LSUSports.net