The LSU softball team has a chance to make history when they open Southeastern Conference play this weekend on the road against Ole Miss.
The Tigers (21-3) have tied their best start in team history, matching the 1998 and 2004 teams.
After winning five games in a row, including two games against No. 10 Oklahoma, LSU climbed to No. 13 in both the Coaches and the ESPN/USA Today rankings.
Coach Yvette Girouard said clutch hitting made the difference last weekend, compared to the Tigers 2-3 performance in Palm Springs two weeks ago.
“It was obvious in the first game [against Oklahoma] that we got the primetime hitting,” Girouard said. “The most important thing about the second game is that we came from behind. Everybody in the dugout knew that there was nobody on Oklahoma’s staff that could stop us.”
The Tigers rebounded from a 4-1 deficit in the second game against Oklahoma behind home runs from Leslie Klein and Lauren Delahoussaye.
SEC Player of the Week Vanessa Soto tied the game with an RBI single. Lauren Castle completed the comeback with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Tigers the 6-5 win.
Soto batted 14-23 on the week with a run and two RBIs. She leads the team in batting average (.483) and RBIs (26) for the season.
“It’s nice to know that people are watching, seeing how well our team is doing,” Soto said. “For me, it’s more about our team performance than individual performance. We played some good games against Oklahoma and came out with some wins. If I happen to get a few hits to help us do that, then that’s what I’m here for.”
Pitcher Dani Hofer (6-2) picked up a win and a save in last weekend’s tournament. The freshman will play in her first SEC game this weekend.
“We had some difficulties two weekends ago, so to play such a great game against Oklahoma really builds our confidence,” Hofer said. “I am really excited about my first SEC game, but I won’t treat it differently than other games.”
The Lady Rebels (7-14) defeated Southeastern in a Wednesday double header for their first home games of the season at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
LSU plays a double header against Ole Miss Saturday, which will start at 3 p.m. The third game of the weekend series starts Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
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