BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 18 LSU will play a Louisiana swing as they hit the road to play Louisiana Tech in Ruston, La. on Tuesday, Feb. 21 and then ULM on Wednesday, Feb. 22 in Monroe, La.
First pitch at Louisiana Tech (7-2) will be at 6 p.m. at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field and will be streamed for a cost on C-USA TV. Wednesday’s contest against ULM (7-5) will start at 6 p.m. at the ULM Softball Complex. No stream will be available for the game.
The Tigers are off to their first 10-0 start since 2018 and has done so with a balanced attack. The LSU offense ranks No. 4 in the SEC with a .355 batting average while also ranking No. 2 in the league and No. 18 in the NCAA with a 1.31 ERA. LSU has outscored its opponents 61-15 in the young season.
Pitcher Sydney Berzon is this week’s SEC Freshman of the Week and ranks No. 4 in the conference with a 0.39 ERA in 18.0 innings pitched. Berzon is 3-0 in the circle and has 16 strikeouts with one shutout and three saves on the season which ranks No. 2 in the NCAA.
Graduate Ali Kilponen also boasts a 3-0 record in the circle and leads the pitching staff with 28 strikeouts (No. 4 in NCAA) and 26.1 innings pitched. Kilponen has two shutouts on the year and recorded her sixth career save last weekend, ranking her No. 6 all-time for most saves in the program’s record book.
Other pitchers to receive decisions this season consist of sophomore Raelin Chaffin and freshman Alea Johnson who are both 2-0.
Junior Taylor Pleasants is the nation’s leader with 21 RBIs and is batting .424 behind a team-high 14 hits and has 10 runs scored. Pleasants also leads the SEC with 30 total bases and has a .909 slugging percentage and .500 on-base percentage.
Graduate Georgia Clark leads the Tigers with a .455 batting average and .647 on-base percentage thanks to 10 hits and 12 walks. Clark currently ranks No. 8 all-time with 101 career walks and No. 9 all-time with 31 career home runs. Junior Ciara Briggs matches Pleasants with a .424 batting average and team-high 14 hits but leads the team and ranks No. 3 in the SEC with 14 runs scored.
THE LINEUP
Louisiana Tech is on a two-game winning streak after winning four of its five games at the Mardi Gras Mambo in Youngsvile, La. The Bulldogs have a .282 batting average and has four players hitting over .300, including sophomore Sierra Sacco who leads the team with a .387 average behind 12 hits and has a team-high eight stolen bases. LA Tech also ranks No. 2 in the C-USA with a 1.55 ERA led by freshman Mary Martinez’s 0.54 ERA and 3-0 record in 13.0 innings pitched. Freshman Allie Floyd has a team-high 17.2 innings in the circle and has a 1.58 ERA. Louisiana Tech has 24 total strikeouts as a team but ranks in the top 50 in the NCAA with a .976 fielding percentage.
ULM is nursing a two-game losing streak after dropping three of five games at the Wilson Invitational in Long Beach, Calif. The Warhawks are hitting .230 in the batter’s box but ranks No. 2 in the nation with a .992 fielding percentage. Junior Lourdes Bacon leads the ULM offense with a .385 batting average, 15 hits, nine runs, three RBIs and 10 stolen bases. Sophomore Gianni Hulett leads the pitchers with 14 strikeouts in 24.0 innings, but has given up 22 hits, 15 walks and 12 runs to contribute to a 2.63 ERA.
ON DECK
LSU will have a quick turnaround as they participate in the LSU/ULL Invitational Crossover against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and UL-Lafayette Feb. 24-26.
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