After solid showings in its last two tournaments, the LSU softball team will try to continue the winning trend as it hosts the Purple and Gold Challenge in Baton Rouge.
LSU opens play Friday against Houston at 2 p.m and then faces Jackson State at 6 p.m. The team will face Houston and Southern Miss on Saturday and finish with bracket play Sunday.
The Tigers have won seven of their last eight games, including wins over Villanova and No. 10 Oklahoma. LSU’s bats have come alive during that span, scoring 49 runs while giving up only 17.
LSU head coach Yvette Girouard said she is pleased with the team’s hitting and how it has overcome tough obstacles all year.
“We seem to be growing and learning with each outing,” Girouard said. “It’s not always pretty, we’re giving up too many runs for my liking and making too many defensive errors, but we find a way to win.”
Center fielder LaDonia Hughes leads the team in hitting (.312), hits (15) and runs (11). The Tigers also have gotten production from second baseman Sara Fitzgerald. She is hitting .294 with 13 RBIs and a .529 slugging percentage.
“We’re swinging the bats pretty good,” Girouard said. “We’re swinging with some confidence.”
Pitchers Tessa Lynam and Kristen Schmidt will take the circle for LSU this weekend. Lynam is 6-0 with a 1.17 earned run average and 49 strikeouts. Lynam also will return to the batting lineup since breaking her hand a month ago.
LSU returns after the Mardi Gras break to play Southeastern on Thursday March 6 and opens Southeastern Conference play against Tennessee on March 8 at 11 a.m.