The softball Tigers are getting comfortable in their home cages. The No. 16 LSU (8-4) carries a three-game winning streak into this weekend’s Tiger Invitational against Southern, Houston (4-6) and Jacksonville State (2-1) at Tiger Park. LSU has outscored its opponents, 24-1, in its last three games. The Tigers have won six of seven games and are in the middle of an 18-game home stand.LSU sophomore first baseman Anissa Young broke out Wednesday against Southeastern Louisiana with two home runs and a career-best five RBIs.”I took movement out of my swing,” Young said. “I’m just trying to be more relaxed at the plate and see better pitches.” LSU coach Yvette Girouard said she was impressed with how Young has adjusted this season.”She’s so much more focused this year,” Girouard said. “She’s come out and she’s worked so much harder already than she did last year. She’s doing extra, and it’s starting to pay off.”Houston has had a rollercoaster of a season. The Cougars had a three-game losing streak followed by a three-game winning streak and are now in the midst of another three-game losing streak.But Girouard said there’s talent in this weekend’s competition.”Houston has a very good team with some good stats, and Jacksonville State pulled off some major upsets last week,” she said. “We can’t assume that we can just hit anybody that trots out there in the circle.”Girouard has some personal connections with Houston’s softball team. The Cougars’ head coach, Kyla Holas (formerly Kyla Hall), played for Girouard at Louisiana-Lafayette.”I always say she’s the finest athlete I ever coached,” Girouard said. “Somebody that can pitch for you and hit four-hole and hit bombs is a very special individual and athlete.”Girouard said Holas is one of the few whose passion to win rivals that of her own.”She was about as big a competitor as I was,” Girouard said. “If there’s anybody that hates to lose and is more intense than myself, the next person would have to be Kyla Hall.”LSU is the only ranked team in the Tiger Invitational. The Tigers’ miniscule 1.05 ERA has contributed significantly to its success. All four Tiger pitchers’ ERAs are less than 1.40. Sophomore pitcher Brittany Mack and senior pitcher Cody Trahan boast ERAs under 1.00.Girouard said the depth will allow the Tigers to use specific pitchers suited for different opponents.”We have such different looks on the staff,” Girouard said. “We’re lucky we have that capacity in the circle. We want to keep developing that.”Trahan said diligent offseason work played a part in LSU’s early pitching dominance.”This year we threw a lot more live during practice to our own batters,” Trahan said. “That helps the hitters immensely, but also as pitchers it helps having a batter in there.”Girouard said she knew the hitting was there in weeks past, but she was still waiting for the Tigers to break out. The Tigers answered, scoring 19 runs in their last two games while run-ruling their two opponents.”We talk about it every day — that at-bat could be your last ever. You’ve got to treasure it,” Girouard said.LSU’s opening games against Southern and Houston on Friday were moved up to 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., respectively, due to weather concerns.____Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]