Sophomore outfielder Ashley Langoni’s walk-off solo home run over the left-center field wall sent the No. 16 LSU softball team home with the victory, 5-4, against Houston.
The Cougars (7-7) got on the board first with an RBI single to center field in the first inning.
The Tigers (12-4) answered in the bottom of the third inning when senior center fielder Rachel Mitchell smacked an RBI base hit to center field. Junior right fielder Ashley Applegate scored on a wild pitch after sophomore first baseman Anissa Young was hit by a pitch, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
LSU could have broken the game wide open but suffered three straight strike outs after loading the bases later in the third inning.
The Tigers made it a 3-1 lead on a double steal when Applegate took second base and senior pitcher Kirsten Shortridge crossed the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Houston regained the lead in the fifth inning. A base-hit RBI single cut the Tigers’ lead to one. A third strike could have ended the inning, but freshman pitcher Rachele Fico’s wild pitch got away from freshman catcher Lauren Houston, who made a throwing error at first base, and two runs scored on the play.
LSU tied it at four with an infield RBI single from Applegate in the sixth inning, and in extra innings Langoni gave the Tigers the 5-4 win with her walk-off shot.
Shortridge pitched four innings giving up one earned run and three runs total. Fico tossed five innings in relief, giving up one unearned run and fanning seven batters.
—-Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected].