THIBODAUX, La. – Third baseman Maddox McKee logged a career-high three hits and two RBIs, and a pair of homers from outfielder Ciara Briggs and pinch hitter McKaela Walker led No. 6/7 LSU past Nicholls 10-2 on Tuesday night at Swanner Field, Geo Surfaces Park.
LSU is now 26-4, and Nicholls falls to 17-15 this season. LSU recorded 13 hits as a team, marking its 12th game this season with 10 or more hits.
Pitcher Raelin Chaffin improved to 8-2 in the circle, where she tallied five strikeouts and allowed two hits and two walks in her third complete game of the season. Chaffin kept the Colonels hitless and retired 12 consecutive batters through 5.1 innings.
Nicholls’ pitcher Molly Yoo (5-3) was charged with the loss, allowing three runs on two hits with a strikeout in 1.2 innings. Pitcher Averi Paden took over and allowed 11 hits and seven runs with six walks and two strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
Second baseman Karli Petty joined McKee with three hits in the game and added one ribbie. Briggs finished the game with two hits, including her 10th career home run, and first baseman Raeleen Gutierrez also had two hits and an RBI.
LSU scored three runs in the second inning with McKee’s RBI double and Briggs’ two-run dinger. McKee brought another run across with a two-out single in the third, upping the Tigers’ lead to 4-0.
The Bayou Bengals added more runs in the sixth thanks to Walker’s first career home run, a three-run blast that increased the lead to 7-0.
After Nicholls plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth, LSU pieced together its third three-run inning of the night, highlighted by a run-scoring triple by Gutierrez, stretching its margin to 10-2.
Chaffin closed the door and retired the last four batters she faced to secure the win.
Up Next
LSU returns to Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, La., for a three-game series against Texas A&M, March 28-30.
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