After its grueling loss in game one of their double header versus Troy, LSU offense riled up the Trojans in a sixth inning rally, run-ruling their opponents with ten runs to their two.
This double header was just day two of the LSU Invitational, a six game tournament that began in Lafayette, Louisiana, where the Tigers secured a win over the ULL Ragin’ Cajuns. Both games of the double header started slowly for LSU, with little action at the plate. The Tigers in game one collected three hits to Troy’s six, accompanied by three errors to Troy’s none. The Trojans’ bats were fired up in game one, with a two run homer from the fourth batter in their lineup. The early lead allowed Trojan hitters to exude confidence and energy at the plate against Ali Kilponen, who started the day off in the circle for the Tigers. This energy shook up the Tiger defense once again when in the fourth inning, the lead off batter for the Trojans homered to center field, giving Troy three runs to LSU’s zero.
LSU bats were awoken in the bottom of the fifth inning when first baseman, Georgia Clark, walked up to the plate and sent one over the left field wall, a three run RBI. Clark tied up the game and put the Tigers on the board. Troy responded to Clark’s bomb in the very next inning, ringing in two more runs from singles that found defensive gaps and wild pitches that allowed them to continue to advance. It was here that LSU’s coaching staff decided to pull Kilponen out of the circle, and send in Shelbi Sunseri for relief. Sunseri quickly closed out the inning with the next two batters. Kilponen allowed six hits, struck out six, and walked four in the 5.1 innings that she played for the Tigers in the circle.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, catcher Ali Newland led things off for the Tiger offense with a home run to center field, creating a one run gap between LSU and Troy. Unfortunately, this is how game one ended. LSU would fall just one run short to Troy’s five. Ultimately, the bats of LSU were lacking. Troy’s pitcher gave the Tigers ample opportunity to rack up a run or more from over 20 illegal pitch calls. These occurred when the pitch was called a ball, no matter its placement. This also allowed for plays to be done over if said plays started with an illegal pitch.
“It should have helped us,” Head Coach Beth Torina explained. “It was like being given a gift. And we didn’t capitalize on it, so it is very frustrating.”
In game two versus the Trojans, the opponent’s offense was once again quick to get a jump on runs. In the third inning, batters rallied on two outs and were able to score two unearned runs. Sunseri led LSU in the circle for this matchup. The Tigers didn’t have much action at the plate, and neither did Troy. This changed in the sixth inning when LSU decided to bring some heat.
The rally began with right fielder, Morgan Smith, who led the Tigers with a double to center field. Third baseman Danieca Coffey reciprocated the energy with a single through the right side, sending Coffey home. Shortstop Taylor Pleasants had her breakthrough of the day when she singled on a ball that found a gap through the right side. The hit was an RBI, sending in Briggs. It only took four batters to tie up the ballgame.
Clark reached first base on a fielding error, advancing Pleasants to second. Sunseri shook things up for the Tigers not only in the circle but at the plate as well, when she hit a three run homer to right field.
LSU finally had the lead on Troy that they were looking for all afternoon. The score was 5-2.
With no outs on the board for LSU, this hitting fire had no signs of dying out. Designated hitter Hayden Brown was the first out of the inning, a sacrifice fly that brought Newland, who was hit by a pitch, home. Smith was the second out, but this meant that the Tigers were back at the top of the lineup; trouble for the Trojans yet again. Coffey tripled to center field, an RBI, which was followed by a single from Briggs that sent Coffey home. The game ended when utility player Raeleen Guitierrez singled to shortstop, allowing Briggs to cross the plate. LSU had mercy ruled Troy, 10 runs to their two, all in one inning. The Tigers were able to get through their starting lineup almost twice, racking up nine hits total. Seven out of the nine batters in LSU’s lineup were listed as offensive leaders of game two. Sunseri was credited with the win. She struck out five and walked one, only allowing four hits in the six innings that she pitched.
It only took an adjustment or two for LSU bats to come alive, Sunseri said. LSU’s hitting coach, Howard Dobson, played quite a large role in these adjustments.
“I think we just knew that we had to make an adjustment somehow, someway,” she explained. “Dobson moved us up in the box in that last inning. We figured if we were swinging at the drop pitches anyway, why not move up in the box and try to catch them before they break? We wanted to see what happened.”
There’s no denying that this tiny adjustment had a major impact on the quality of at bats that LSU ended up having against Troy.
Up next for the Tigers is game two against the ULL Ragin’ Cajuns on home turf this time. The first pitch will take place this evening at 6:00 p.m., right here at Tiger Park. Hopefully, if needed, LSU will be able to make the adjustments necessary to secure yet another win.
