LSU softball came out on top in both its Friday and Saturday contests against Michigan State after a dominant run-rule win, along with a hard-fought contest that went down to the last inning.

LSU’s first game of the weekend was a dominant display of batting and fielding that ended in a 9-0 blowout.

The Tigers managed to get a run in every inning of the contest while recording seven hits and zero errors.

“I thought we did a lot of things well,” Head coach Beth Torina said. “Putting up nine runs against a good arm, against a team that’s beaten ranked opponents.”

LSU’s first batter, Jalia Lassiter, provided for the offense like she has the past two weeks, getting a hard-hit single on LSU’s first at-bat. Sierra Daniel then got a big single down left field, advancing Lassiter to third, before she was sent home off an Alix Franklin single.

In the second inning, Daniel kept showing out, hitting a double deep into left field, sending Char Lorenz home.

LSU’s batters were hot in the third inning, loading the bases early on. Great hitting mixed with poor Michigan State fielding proved to be detrimental for the Spartans. The Tigers racked up six runs off sacrifice flies and great base running, while the Spartans dug themselves a hole with two errors.

Jayden Heavner and the Tigers’ defense also put on a fielding clinic, holding Michigan State scoreless, for their third shutout of the season.

“I thought Jayden Heavener just kept us in it the whole time, followed by some solid defense behind her,” Torina said.

Tori Edwards had some great fielding at the top of the first, tagging two Spartans at first base. Heavner then followed by getting her first strikeout to finish a 1-2-3 inning.

The Spartans looked to almost get their breakout hit in the third after freshman Zoie Bernard launched a ball towards the left-field wall, but an alert Lorenz was able to chase it down and come down with an impressive catch to keep the Spartans scoreless.

LSU’s defense came away with another scoreless inning in the fourth, while the offense expanded its lead by one more after Lassiter was hit by a pitch, which sent Hutchins home. With the score at 9-0 going into the fifth, fans started to leave early, knowing the contest would end on a run-rule.

Every Tiger from one to nine was on their game today, with all but one recording a run. Five LSU batters recorded hits as well, with the biggest performance being a three-hit game from Daniel, tying her career high.

Heavner also had a great game on the mound, handling Spartan batters all game. She recorded four strikeouts in the seventh shutout of her LSU career.

LSU’s second go against Michigan State was a much tighter contest that resulted in a 5-4 win for the Tigers that went late into Saturday night.

Big hits were the story of the game, with the Tigers recording six hits while giving up seven to the Spartans. LSU also got two home runs, resulting in three of its five runs.

Despite solid LSU fielding, this contest would be another case of the Tigers letting up an early run.

Torina decided to start Paytn Monticelli on the mound in her first action of the Purple and Gold Challenge. Monticelli struggled in the first, giving up a walk and two hits, which resulted in Michigan State taking an early 1-0 lead.

The Tigers would respond quickly to being 1-0 down, loading up the bases in their first four at-bats, but good fielding from the Spartans held LSU scoreless in the first.

Monticelli would recover from her first-inning struggles and get a quick three outs in the second.

LSU’s batters then started their scoring with a two-run homer smacked into left-center field by Destiny Harris. Tori Edwards got a one-run homer of her own on the first at-bat of the third inning, stretching the lead to three.

Monticelli heated up in the fourth, getting another two strikeouts, stretching her tally to six.

As LSU started to think it was running away with the game, Michigan State began chipping into LSU’s two-run lead in the fifth, loading up the bases and scoring on a walk.

In a long fifth inning, the Spartans’ bases stayed loaded with only one out, forcing Torina to call for an end to Monticelli’s day and replace her with Tatum Clopton.

The switch would not work as expected, though, with Spartan outfielder Sydney Doloszycki hitting a single down left field, sending two runners home.

This go-around, Michigan State found themselves winning by one at the bottom of the fifth, overexceeding expectations after the 9-0 scoreline after five innings the day before.

Self-inflicted errors were the story of the fifth inning for Michigan State. The Spartans gave up a double off a catching error at first base before a dropped ball on a tag at home allowed Lassiter to score. After the chaotic inning, LSU was tied at 4-4 with two innings to go.

In the sixth, LSU continued its scoring after a sacrifice fly by Daniel sent Harris home.

LSU had a 5-4 lead going into the seventh, leaving the game in the hands of the defense to hold the Spartans scoreless in the seventh.

LSU’s defense came up big yet again and gave no hope for a comeback for the Spartans. LSU got a quick 1-2-3 out inning, off two groundouts and a flyout, ending the contest at 5-4.

LSU got the sweep against Michigan State and advanced to 11-4 on the season.

LSU now looks to finish the Purple and Gold Challenge undefeated in its contest against Howard on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.