LAKE CHARLES, La. – Brittany Mack fired a four-hitter as the LSU softball team extended its season’s long winning streak to eight games, and the Tigers claimed their fourth straight shutout, a 4-0 victory over McNeese State Wednesday at Cowgirl Diamond.
LSU (24-8) also has won 21 of its last 25 games dating back to Feb. 19 and ended McNeese State’s (20-9) run of five consecutive wins.
Mack, the reigning SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week, won her eighth straight decision since March 3 and improved to 11-4 on the season. She fanned six batters versus two walks to secure LSU’s 16th shutout of the season.
After a leadoff triple during the first inning, Mack sat down 10 batters in a row. Five of the seven McNeese State runners she stranded were in scoring position.
“We definitely faced a quality opponent tonight in McNeese State, and we knew they were someone we couldn’t take lightly,” head coach Beth Torina said. “We put Brittany Mack on the mound, approached it like one of the tougher games on our schedule and we found a way to win.”
Offensively, LSU was fueled by Allison Falcon‘s 2-for-3 effort at the plate. Ashley Applegate, Jacee Blades and Ashleigh Kuhn also recorded hits for the Tigers.
“Allison is a tough out at the plate,” Torina said. “I feel that she always has quality at-bats and is going to make something happen by putting the ball in play hard. There’s no doubt that she’s a difference maker in our lineup.”
LSU broke through for a trio of runs during the fourth inning. Falcon smashed a one-out single to centerfield, while Applegate followed with a double into the right centerfield gap.
After Lauren Houston was hit-by-a-pitch to fill the bases, Falcon crossed the plate with LSU’s first run via a wild pitch, and Applegate alertly scored from second base after a throwing error by MSU catcher Ashley Modzelewski. The Tigers made it 3-0 on a Katie Roux fielding miscue.
LSU tacked on another run in the fifth inning. With runners on the corners, Ashley Langoni and Falcon executed a double steal to perfection to push the lead to 4-0. Falcon got caught in a rundown in between first and second base, which allowed Langoni to sprint home and slide around the tag.
Tiffany Denham was tagged with the loss and fell to 7-3 for the season. She was touched up for four runs, one earned, on five hits.
“Coming off a great weekend at South Carolina, we knew we had to be focused for McNeese State,” Falcon said. “We had to play at our best to come in and get the job done. This win contributes to the momentum we are building. Our defense is doing well, our pitching is phenomenal and our hitting is coming along.”
LSU returns home and plays host to Arkansas for a three-game weekend series at Tiger Park. Game times are slated for 6 p.m. [Friday], 4 p.m. [Saturday] and 1 p.m. [Sunday].
All three games of the series will have live video, live audio and live stats inside the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net. The game also will be carried live Country Legends 104.9 FM in the Baton Rouge area with Patrick Wright and Kent Lowe set to call the action.
Fans also can follow every pitch of LSU softball this season via live in-game updates on LSU softball’s social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/lsusoftball and @lsu_softball on Twitter.
As part of Brittany Mack‘s “Geaux Play” initiative, LSU softball is encouraging fans to share the gift of sports with special needs children. Fans can donate new or gently used sports equipment during the remaining LSU softball home games at Tiger Park. For more information, visit LSUsports.net/geauxplay.
All items collected will be given directly to the Miracle League Association and six local schools that Mack will visit during the season. At LSU’s series finale versus Ole Miss on April 22, Mack will invite all the children to the game as her special VIP guests for “Geaux Play” day at Tiger Park.
The LSU Athletics Ticket Office continues to urge season ticket holders to be cautious when separating their bar-coded tickets. The barcode must be attached to the ticket for scanning purposes when arriving at the gate. If the barcode detaches, season ticket holders must stop by the LSU Athletics Ticket Office on the first floor of the Athletics/Administration Building for a reprint of their tickets.