For the third time in as many weeks, the No. 11 LSU softball team struggled to close out the last game of a long weekend after strong performances in previous days.
The Tigers (14-2) recorded their second loss of the season in a 2-0 effort against No. 16 UCLA (13-1) Sunday despite LSU coach Beth Torina’s team outscoring opponents 26-7 in the four winning encounters it had Thursday through Saturday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs, Calif.
“We played really well all week,” Torina said. “[UCLA] made big plays when they needed it and we just couldn’t get any breaks.”
The Tigers have amassed a total of two runs in the three Sunday games they have played this season — the only triumphant endeavor coming in a 1-0 victory against Nicholls State last weekend in Baton Rouge. With the exception of two games, LSU has scored at least two runs in every other non-Sunday game this season.
In last weekend’s Purple and Gold Challenge, Torina said the Tigers’ slowed offensive production against Nicholls State was due to not making necessary adjustments at the plate for a pitcher whose throwing style was different from others her team saw at the Challenge.
The trip to the Golden State was more of the same, with the added problem of a 1,700-mile cross-country trip.
“It was a little bit of both,” said junior second baseman Allison Falcon. “We come out loud and big at first. We need to be able to maintain our composure throughout the weekend.”
Senior pitcher Rachele Fico showed why she’s an All-American, pitching in four out of the five games for the Tigers, including a no-hitter against Ohio State.
But Fico said she isn’t settling for her performance in Palm Springs.
“There’s still stuff I need to work on,” Fico said. “I need to fix mistakes and continue to improve my pitches and make sure I’m hitting the spots I need to hit. … At practice, I need to continue working hard on the mound to keep making our hitters better.”
The 7-0 win against Ohio State was Fico’s second career no-hitter with the Tigers — the first stemming from her throwing the program’s third perfect game against Southeastern Louisiana University in 2011.
The six strikeouts the Connecticut native threw in the game also moved her past Dani Hofer into sole possession of fourth place all-time in career strikeouts for LSU.
Fico threw 385 pitches to 90 batters, allowing 18 hits and striking out 24 batters through 22 innings on the trip.
According to Torina, Fico took the brunt of the pitching load in California because of the high level of talent at the Classic.
The Tigers will continue their pre-Southeastern Conference schedule road stint with a trip to the East Coast next weekend when they compete in the Citrus Classic at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.
