Go-ahead sixth innings and sophomore Tori Edwards led No. 17 LSU’s effort to sweep Ole Miss this weekend, making for its first sweep of the SEC slate.
In the series finale, the Tigers defeated the Rebels in an 8-5 ballgame that was tied until the sixth inning. The sixth had been a crucial inning for LSU across the entire weekend, giving the Tigers the go-ahead in all three games.
Edwards, the sophomore captain, was a nightmare for the rebels all weekend and came up clutch in that sixth inning. In the series opener Friday, Edwards recorded an inside the park grand slam to hand the Tigers a 6-4 victory. Saturday, Edwards drew a walk with the bases loaded to win it 7-6. And in the finale, she recorded a solo home run to advance the Tigers’ lead.
“Our offense was incredible,” head coach Beth Torina said. “Their fight was incredible. The way the offense controlled the strike zone all weekend was incredible. We were able to use so many different people. I was really proud of the effort all weekend long.”
Paytn Monticelli was crucial to closing out the final two games of the weekend. In Game 2, she won the ballgame, relieving Jayden Heavener. In Game 3, she won it once more, relieving Cece Cellura this time around.
Every single Ole Miss run in the finale being scored on a two-run home run in the first inning and three solo shots in the fourth, but the Tigers’ offense didn’t back down to the challenge that the defense faced.
The two-run home run came off the bat of Rebels’ right fielder Madi George with a deep ball to right field. It marked George’s second home run of the weekend.
Heavener’s day ended Sunday after throwing a single inning, allowing two runs on two hits, two errors and four walks.
But for LSU, a two-run double from Jalia Lassiter tied the game for the Tigers in the very next inning.
Sophomore Jada Phillips started the game behind the plate at catcher after having to relieve Char Lorenz in the very last inning of Game 2. Phillips recorded her first career base hit in the second inning.
The scoring in the second continued. A wild pitch from senior Emilee Boyer allowed LSU to plate one and take the lead, and a throwing error to first base quickly advanced its lead to 4-2.
All weekend, LSU and Ole Miss were in a dog fight as both teams consistently traded leads. The rest of the series finale was no different.
Kennedy Bunker led off the fourth inning with a solo shot to right field that brought the Rebels back within one. Two at-bats later, George hit her second home run of the game to make the score even once more.
The next at-bat, Cassie Reasner also hit a solo home run to give Ole Miss the lead back and end Cellura’s day. Monticelli entered the game, getting out of the fourth and recording a crucial quick three outs in the fifth inning to shut down the bottom of the Rebels’ order.
Tori Edwards, who had come up in clutch moments during the first two games of the series, tied it up for the Tigers once more in the fifth with a solo home run. Edwards went on to clobber her second solo shot of the game the next inning.
To begin the sixth, Alix Franklin continued her successful weekend with a go-ahead triple, driving in two runs to give the Tigers a 7-5 lead. Then, Edwards stretched that lead to three.
All Monticelli had to do in the seventh was record three outs with a comfortable lead after the three-run sixth inning. Despite allowing a base hit and hitting a batter after two groundouts, another groundout would end the threat.
“I was pumped up for the last batter,” Monticelli said after the final inning of Game 2, which played out the exact same way. “There was a lot of commotion in the last inning. It was a long inning, but good, and the fight we’ve been looking for.”
LSU now moves to 32-14 on the season and sits at an even 9-9 in conference play. The Tigers boast a four-game win streak and advance to 24-5 at home.
The Tigers will get to rest before heading to Starkville, Mississippi, to take on Mississippi State for their series beginning April 24.
