LSU softball ended its perfect record on Sunday with a 5-2 loss to Ole Miss and couldn’t find its fire again in the final game on Monday.
The chilly, windy night in Baton Rouge cooled off the Tigers’ bats, and they only put up two runs, losing 9-2.
After shutting out Ole Miss 3-0 in Game 1, LSU succumbed to the toughness of the Southeastern Conference. The Tigers lost the series 2-1.
LSU gave up nine runs and 13 hits in the last game. The Tigers used all three of the starting pitchers in their rotation, attempting to change the game. However, the first-loss hangover was too strong.
“We didn’t bounce back from the loss yesterday the way I hoped we would,” head coach Beth Torina said. “I think we held onto it a little too much, maybe realized we weren’t invincible and didn’t respond well to it.”
Right now, seven of the eight SEC teams LSU faces rank in the USA Today or ESPN.com top 25.
The one unranked conference opponent? Ole Miss.
LSU didn’t play to its usual intensity to hold off what should’ve been a weaker team, according to national and SEC rankings.
Despite losing the series, these three LSU players aided the comeback effort, even when the Tigers were trailing.
Ciara Briggs
After Danieca Coffey’s torn ACL ended her season, someone had to step into her role as leadoff. Briggs, who was batting in the two-hole, embraced the challenge.
Briggs was a standout player on both sides of the game throughout the weekend. However, she shined on offense, being the offensive leader in two out of three games against Ole Miss.
In game one, she went 2-for-4 with one RBI. Her speed allowed her to outrun throws and pressure the defense to rush routine plays. Briggs capitalized on this when she singled to left field and advanced to second on a throwing error, which allowed Karli Petty to score.
In game two, she was equally effective, going 2-for-4 again. She singled to shortstop then to left center.
On defense, Briggs also excelled. She went errorless, making all the routine plays with the addition of diving catches.
Since the first game, Briggs started building her resume for a third Golden Glove, and she hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
Kelley Lynch
Having a pitcher who can also hit is rare in college softball. Lynch excels at both for the Tigers.
She ended her final season at Washington with a 2.43 ERA and nine wins. Lynch is on track to have another great year, this time in LSU’s purple and gold.
“I would say she is probably our highest strikeout number person … she has one of the best riseballs I’ve ever seen,” Torina said earlier this season.
She pitched a two-hit shutout and threw four hitless innings in the first game.
When not used in the circle, Lynch also made key plays at the plate. She hit a double and a sacrifice fly to score a runner.
As the starter in the series instead of ace Sydney Berzon, the dual-threat player proved she can earn the victory on day one. On the other two days, Lynch helped out her fellow pitching staff by producing hits.
Karli Petty
Since Petty’s return from injury, she has been nothing short of exceptional for the Tigers.
Her ability to produce big plays in clutch moments benefits the Tigers in more ways than one. She works the count to be in her favor, generating walks and her idea of a perfect pitch.
Petty moved from No. 7 in the lineup to No. 5, a testament to her skillful at-bats.
In game two, Petty was an offensive leader, batting .500 with an RBI.
“Karli did a great job, that’s why I moved her up in the lineup,” Torina said. “I think she had a really good weekend.”
She got things going early in the game, doubling to left-center in the bottom of the second. After advancing to third on a passed ball, Petty scored the first run of the game off of a sacrifice fly from Lynch.
Briggs, Lynch and Petty were able to stand out, even when LSU wasn’t playing its best. Their ability to remain calm in tough situations exhibits their seniority status.
These three are just a few of the many leaders that will lead the Tigers back to a victory.
