This was supposed to be the year senior Dani Hofer and junior Cody Trahan were the one-two punch in the circle for the LSU softball team.But things didn’t work out as planned.Hofer, who has a career 1.77 ERA with 623 strikeouts in her four seasons at LSU, has been sidelined lately because of a wrist injury that has hampered her since last season.Into the picture stepped freshman Brittany Mack.Mack has 13 appearances with four starts in the Tigers’ 19 games so far this season. In her 44.1 innings pitched, she has given up 15 earned runs, giving her a 2.37 ERA. Mack also leads the team with 60 strikeouts and has a five-inning no hitter against Texas State on Feb. 21 in LSU’s 8-0 victory.”We didn’t expect her to have to step in like she has,” Trahan said. “Having five pitchers on the squad, we thought we were set. But with the injuries we’ve had, she had to step up, and she’s done a great job.”LSU coach Yvette Girouard said Mack has looked good so far this season and the team would be in a “heck of a mess” without her.”She’s going to be a great talent for the Tigers,” Girouard said. “Her work ethic is unquestionable.”The Round Rock, Texas, native came to LSU from Westwood High, where she compiled a 60-16 record during four seasons with a 0.54 ERA. She had 338 strikeouts in her senior season and three perfect games in her career. “She’s got the mentality of just bring it, and she will take care of it,” said Mack’s high school coach Tiffany Gates. “She didn’t have the hitters here that she has now. She carried a lot of the weight on her shoulders, so she’s used to pressure situations.” Mack has only lost one game all season, a 1-0 decision against Sam Houston State on Feb. 15.So far, the pressure of being a freshman starter has not gotten to Mack’s head.”I’ve always liked pressure situations,” Mack said. “Back in high school, if there was ever a bases-loaded situation, I would always get myself out of it. So it’s good to know that the coaches can count on me in pressure situations to get the job done.”Mack looked like an ace in her last few appearances heading into the second game of a double header Saturday against Kentucky. She was strong on the mound in the first six innings, giving up only two runs on two hits. But Mack surrendered the tying runs in the seventh and was pulled after getting only one out and giving up three more earned runs and two hits. “She ran into a road block where everything was just off,” Girouard said. “But we … are working real hard this week to get her back on track.”Mack ended up throwing 129 pitches in the game.But she hasn’t been fatigued yet with the amount of pitches she’s thrown — Mack threw 21 innings and struck out 39 batters in one high school game.But her teammates have been warning her to take it easy.”I’ll get stronger as the year goes on,” Mack said. “All the girls are warning me to be careful because my arm could get tired. So I’m being cautious and making sure I’m not pitching too much in warm up.”—-Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]