After facing the nation’s top two teams, the No. 25 LSU softball team may find solace in facing struggling Southern Miss on Wednesday.
The Tigers (15-10) travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., to face the Golden Eagles (8-13), who have lost eight straight games. LSU rides a five-game losing streak of its own after dropping consecutive series to No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Florida to open Southeastern Conference play.
“It’s been a difficult five games for us,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard. “We just have to get back to the basics and play softball.”
LSU’s struggles started with the offense. The Tigers have only recorded four runs in their five defeats, including three shutouts.
Junior first baseman Anissa Young, who leads the team with 21 RBIs, said the offense can only improve.
“We need to get mentally stronger,” Young said. “We need to band together and figure out what’s wrong.”
A matchup with Southern Miss may be exactly what LSU’s offense needs to get back on track. Southern Miss pitchers have combined for a 4.19 ERA and have walked 81 batters.
Girouard said she needs to focus on her own team’s faults before dwelling on her opponents’.
“We have our own problems right now,” Girouard said. “And we have to worry about ourselves before we worry about any opponents.”
The LSU pitching trio also has room for improvement. Junior Brittany Mack, sophomore Rachele Fico and freshman Meghan Patterson have allowed 39 runs during the losing streak.
“We can’t allow people to dwell in the past,” Girouard said. “It really only matters that you’re hot at the end. We may have put ourselves in a hole now, but there’s an awful lot to play for.”
 
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