With a pivotal road trip to No. 2 Alabama looming this weekend, the LSU softball team (26-8, 9-1 Southeastern Conference) must survive a contest with Nicholls State tonight before shifting its focus to the Crimson Tide.
Nicholls State (8-21, 4-4 Southland Conference) visits Tiger Park after a 1-0 win on Sunday against Texas State, who was favored to win the Southland Conference.
The No. 24 Tigers last faced the Colonels on March 7 in Thibodaux, where LSU routed Nicholls for a 10-2 victory.
The teams’ first encounter this season ended in five innings and was highlighted by back-to-back home runs with two outs from senior left fielder Ashley Langoni and freshman shortstop Dylan Supak.
Langoni finished that game with three RBIs and two runs, while Supak added two RBIs and two runs of her own. Junior catcher Lauren Houston tacked on two more RBIs.
Junior pitcher Rachele Fico racked up six strikeouts, while sophomore pitcher Meghan Patterson secured the win with a perfect, two-strikeout seventh inning.
LSU coach Beth Torina said keeping the Tigers focused on Nicholls the week before Alabama has been difficult.
“Even in my own head, it’s difficult to focus when we have such a big weekend coming up,” Torina said. “But we’re trying to only talk about Nicholls today.”
Senior right fielder Ashley Applegate said a win against the Colonels could lead to success when the Tigers face the Tide on Friday.
“Playing well on Wednesday will allow us to continue to carry the momentum that we need into our series next weekend at Alabama,” she said.
Momentum isn’t running short for LSU, as the Tigers have won their last 11 games.
Torina said Nicholls’ senior third baseman Ashley Ray has been a particular point of interest when scouting the Colonels.
Ray played a season at No. 8 Louisiana-Lafayette, a team that has lost only one game so far this season, before transferring to Nicholls.
“She’s always a tough out for us,” Torina said. “We want to make sure we’re not facing her with runners on base and we’re getting people out in front of her.”
Torina said if LSU allows players to get on base before Ray steps to the plate, Ray “will make it a ball game.”
In the first meeting between the Tigers and Colonels this season, Ray hit two-for-two, accounting for half of Nicholls’ offense with two of the Colonels’ four hits and one of their two RBIs. She also scored a run.
Senior shortstop Juliana Santos said it’s important to play well against other in-state teams.
“Nicholls, McNeese and Southeastern – they always come with their ‘A’ game,” she said. “They always play tough, and they always play us very well.”
 
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Contact Albert Burford at [email protected].