No. 16 LSU softball failed to get the series sweep in Game 3 against Missouri on Saturday after a defensive battle, which ended in a 1-0 defeat.
LSU dominated the first two matchups against the rival Tigers on Thursday and Friday, securing the series win.
The offense seemed to cool off after the explosive offensive performance on Friday, recording only four hits. Missouri matched LSU’s number of hits but was able to drive in the solo run off an RBI single.
Top batters like Kylee Edwards and Tori Edwards couldn’t get anything going for LSU, failing to record a hit in plenty of big moments throughout the contest.
Head coach Beth Torina chose to split the pitching duties between Paytn Monticelli and Jayden Heavner in this contest, and the two would perform well, striking out six batters while combining for a 2.81 ERA.
Both defenses seemed to open the contest with a much bigger focus on fielding. Missouri would only let up a single to LSU through the first two innings, while LSU only allowed runners on base through walks.
Neither side looked menacing until the third inning, when Missouri’s offense started to turn up.
Missouri got runners on base quickly with a walk and a single, and on the next pitch, a single by Abby Hay was all Mizzou needed to drive in a run.
It would jump to a 1-0 lead, giving the home team’s fans hope for its first upset of the series.
LSU couldn’t bounce back from the deficit in the fourth inning, again failing to record a hit through the inning. On Missouri’s turn at-bat, it’d only get a single before Monticelli retired a third batter with a groundout.
Missouri’s defense seemed determined to shut out the Tigers, and would only let one runner on base in the fifth off a walk to Maci Bergeron. It would get a great double play in the inning as well, digging LSU an even deeper hole.
Missouri again only recorded a single in the fifth inning, before Heavner replaced Monticelli on the mound and forced three straight fly-outs.
LSU was left with only one inning to tie up the contest after another great inning of fielding by Missouri, which resulted in three straight outs on star batters Jaila Lassiter, Sierra Daniel and Kylee Edwards.
Missouri tried to expand its lead in the sixth after getting two runners on base with a walk and a hit batter, but LSU’s defense would hold up and force a third out. This left LSU’s offense needing to score at the top of the seventh inning to go to extra innings.
LSU’s offense looked like it could come back after Alix Franklin opened the inning with a single.
Missouri’s defense would not give up easily, though, and on the next at-bat, got another clutch double play off a groundball by Tori Edwards. Now, LSU was left in a very rough situation, down one run without a runner on base and on two outs.
Char Lorenz kept LSU in the contest with her second single of the day, but on the next at-bat, Bergeron struck a ground ball towards first base, which was easily handled, resulting in the final out of the contest.
LSU finished the series 2-1 against Missouri, with fans still waiting to see its first series sweep of the season.
LSU can bounce back Tuesday at 6 p.m. in a non-conference showdown against Central Arkansas, before a big series against No. 12 Arizona over the weekend.
