LSU softball had to come from behind to take the game from Florida and did it with unmatched electricity in the ballpark to take the series.
After a blowout win in Game 1 and a Tiger walk-off in Game 2, the Bayou Bengals’ season record relied on Game 3 to boost their resume for the postseason. They took care of business, but not without a threat from the Gators.
Florida took a lead in the third inning on a fielder’s choice by Sierra Daniel on a stellar play at second base. Daniel dove up the middle and made a flip second to secure one out, but the Tigers couldn’t secure another out at the plate to keep the Gators from scoring one run.
This moment wasn’t the only electric one throughout Game 3. Both teams were all gas all the time. There was never a pitch taken off. The balance of this game hung in defensive and offensive gems.
To get out of the jam in the third inning, Danieca Coffey snagged a smashed line drive and doubled off a Gator at second base to end the inning.
The electricity was unmatched in Tiger Park on a Monday night. For a late game on a weekday, the stands were painted purple and gold, and the fans were as fired up as the LSU team itself.
It might be a regular season game, but the fans backed the purple and gold like Game 3 of the World Series Championship Series. There wasn’t a quiet fan in the park on Monday night.
The atmosphere was enhanced after the Tigers took the lead in the fourth inning. Jadyn Laneaux had herself a day to put LSU in a position to win the game.
In the fourth inning, she hit an infield single for her second hit of the night to give LSU a temporary lead. She later put LSU in position to win the game in the sixth inning with a rope to the wall to load the bases.
Laneaux was all over the field in Game 3; she made two momentum-changing snags in left field that boosted her resume for a position as one of LSU’s most solid outfielders.
Avery Hodge put LSU on top with an RBI sacrifice fly to deep left-center field.
Hodge has repeatedly shown why she is a two-time national champion. Game 3 against Florida buried the sentiment. She has trusted the process all season and finally had her moment.
Hodge told the media earlier this week that the focus is on taking the game one pitch at a time, which has been evident throughout the weekend in Tiger Park.
“I think [postseason seeding] in all of our heads, but we just need to focus on these next two weekends, and I think us playing our game and us playing strong will help us achieve those goals,” Hodge said.
Despite Hodge’s take, this game had postseason appeal in the best possible ways. From the competitive nature to the offensive and defensive gems and even the ballpark atmosphere, this game will be big in the selection committee’s decision for the postseason.
The defense and offense were electric, and the pitching redeemed itself after a few rough weeks.
SEC Freshman of the Year candidate Jayden Heavener started in the circle for LSU. She pitched two stellar innings of softball, but she was pulled for Sydney Berzon to clean up the trouble and hold down the fort.
This LSU pitching staff had the right to be energized in Game 3 for the Tigers. They had a rough two weeks in Texas and Game 1 against Florida. Berzon showed the staff’s life in Game 2 on Sunday, propelling the pitching momentum into Monday’s game.
Heavener and Berzon kept the Gators off the basepaths as much as possible, which is essential given their stellar offense. They combined for five hits and two runs, six strikeouts, and zero walks.
The game ended in the usual dramatic fashion for LSU. The Tigers called the game in the sixth inning with an Avery Hodge walk to defeat the Gators in mercy-rule fashion.
LSU won 10-2 in the six-inning affair, where they tallied eight runs in the sixth inning.
When the selection committee makes a decision in two weeks, they will examine this series closely. The Tigers will continue to pack their resumes on Friday at 6 p.m. when they take on Arkansas in Fayetteville for their final weekend of SEC play.
