The No. 21 LSU softball team has waited more than a month to finish its season series with Southeastern Louisiana.
The Tigers (35-15) will get their chance tonight when they travel to Hammond to make up a game with the Lions (21-27) that was rained out March 29.
LSU rides a nine-game winning streak into the contest and has won 20 of its last 23 games dating back to March 19. The Tigers swept Mississippi State in their last outing.
“We have to have the same mindset Tuesday that we did over the weekend at Mississippi State,” LSU coach Yvette Girouard said in a news release. “That’s to go down there and take care of business.”
The two squads last met Feb. 16 in Tiger Park — a 9-0 victory for LSU. Sophomore pitcher Rachele Fico threw the program’s third perfect game, striking out seven of the 15 batters she faced.
Offensively, junior infielder Anissa Young and freshman third baseman Tammy Wray did the most damage against the Lions, each striking for three RBIs.
Young found similar success last weekend against Mississippi State, going 5-for-7 with four RBIs and a home run. Young leads the team with nine home runs and 36 RBIs.
The Lions have failed to find their stride since their matchup with LSU. They’ve lost five of their last eight games, including two of three last weekend against Sam Houston State.
Southeastern may have trouble getting back on track against an LSU team against which it has had little success in the past. LSU has won 16 of its previous 17 meetings with the Lions, and they have not lost to Southeastern since 2007 — a 1-0 defeat in Hammond.
LSU continues to rely on junior pitcher Brittany Mack, who has six wins during the Tigers’ current winning streak. Mack recorded all three wins against Mississippi State, becoming the third Southeastern Conference pitcher to do so this season. She holds an 11-2 record and a 0.87 ERA since March 19.
The Tigers have feasted on in-state opponents this season, winning all nine games against Louisiana teams. LSU posted wins against Nicholls State, Northwestern State, McNeese State, Louisiana Tech and Southern, outscoring those teams 78-8.
Southeastern didn’t have as much success against those same opponents with a 5-6 record against Louisiana teams. Most recently, the Lions defeated Nicholls on April 27, a day after dropping both games of a doubleheader to the Colonels
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But even with all that success, Girouard said her team has to be ready for anything.
“We know we have to be on our toes any time we go on the road in the state,” Girouard said.
 
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Contact Hunter Paniagua at [email protected]