Another home tournament for No. 6 LSU softball. Another showcase of a dominant offense that clutches wins.
To kick off the Tiger Classic on Thursday, shortstop Taylor Pleasants hit a walk-off home run in the 10th inning to beat Boise State 3-2.
That was just the start of what LSU’s bats would do.
The Tigers kept the win margins larger in the next four games against the Broncos, University of Houston Cougars and Austin Peay Governors. LSU tallied 37 runs and 56 hits.
Complementing this offense, the pitching staff blazed through batters from strikeouts to shutouts.
With a now 13-0 record, the Tigers remained undefeated.
“This is a great feeling,” left fielder Ali Newland said. “We worked really hard to put ourselves in this position, so it’s awesome to see the fruits of your labor come to life.”
Each Tiger in this lineup can make plays and score runs. However, these three player’s performances stood out.
Taylor Pleasants
There’s a reason head coach Beth Torina calls Pleasants the best shortstop in the country, and in her final season with LSU, she’s already built a legacy.
This weekend, Pleasants left her imprint in the dirt, twice. With two diving catches, she caught airtime and the ball to turn base hits into outs.
She leads the Southeastern Conference in fielding percentage with .913 and has 46 catches.
“I always love the defensive part of it because it’s something that can be so easily overlooked,” Pleasants said. “It’s fun. It’s a game. Defense is the time to make plays and just go all out.”
With her unstoppable at-bats, Pleasants not only created a walk-off win, but added two more home runs and 10 RBIs.
She leads the team in extra-base hits and notched the first LSU grand-slam of the season in the opening weekend.
Pleasants has shined for the Tigers in these early-season games. She’ll continue to lead LSU this year, aiming to end her time with the Tigers in postseason play.
Raelin Chaffin
Chaffin’s arm became LSU’s backbone throughout the Tiger Classic. She appeared in three of the five games, starting in two of them. Chaffin threw a shutout against Houston on Saturday and allowed only two hits.
“She’s really just the picture of toughness for our team,” Torina said. “I never have to ask her how she’s feeling or if she’s good to go. She just always wants the ball and will do anything for this team.”
Chaffin tossed five strikeouts against the Cougars and only walked one batter. In that game, she struck out four of the first six batters.
“We got a really good performance out of Rae Chaffin,” Torina said. “I’m hard-pressed to think of a better one [from her] … She was so good today in a moment where we really needed her to step up.”
Whether the starter or reliever, Chaffin added an extra level of competitiveness to the Tigers. She held up her end of the bargain on the mound, so the offense wasn’t in a deficit and needed to play catch up.
Ali Newland
Hanging over the wall with her feet in the air, Newland caught a foul ball against Houston that would’ve been out of play for most outfielders.
A hit in the air to the left field is an out for Newland. However, using speed and her glove become her secondary talents when she’s up to bat.
Newland created quite the highlight reel for herself this weekend with 10 hits, including two home runs. She consistently got on base, from singles and doubles to walks.
Although instrumental in the team’s success, Newland emphasizes that their journey is far from complete.
“I think the theme for us just has to be happy, but never satisfied, continuing to work, continuing to find ways to be better as we continue to go through this season,” Newland said.
The next battle
LSU will host Illinois, San Diego State, McNeese State and Louisiana Tech, starting on Friday, March 1, through Sunday, March 3.
With 13 wins, the Tigers are climbing their way up the national rankings and becoming the team to take down.
“I think we always knew this team was something … just being proud to play here and proud that people come in here and are like, ‘Oh, we want to beat LSU,’” Newland said.
