No. 15 LSU softball suffered a loss to No. 19 Mississippi State, falling 5-3 in a rain-delayed game Friday night.
The Tigers opened their series against the Bulldogs on a dreary evening at Nusz Park, ending the program’s recent four-game win streak. The Tigers now move to 32-15 on the season and 9-10 in conference play.
The issue for LSU, however, wasn’t its offense. The difficulty faced in Starkville came down to a single player, and despite a three-run home run in the third inning and an explosive two runs in the sixth, the trouble didn’t come from the Bulldogs’ offense, either.
In the opposing circle, Alyssa Faircloth started for the Bulldogs, striking out the entire Tigers’ order except one. Faircloth’s strikeout against junior Ally Hutchins in the top of the third inning marked her 200th strikeout of just the 2026 season alone.
Faircloth continued to get the best of the Tigers until the end of her night in the circle, achieving her 11th victory Friday. Finishing the night, the junior ace struck out 11 in her 6.2 innings pitched, only allowing three runs and five hits.
The Tigers’ junior shortstop Kylee Edwards faced her former team for the first time since her transfer to LSU, but would have an unusually quiet bat – something that hasn’t been seen from her as of late. Edwards went 0-1, but was walked and hit by a pitch twice to reach base for LSU.
Jayden Heavener started in the circle for LSU, but her day would conclude after only throwing two innings. During those two innings, she gave up three runs and four hits, also walking two Bulldog batters. Heavener was charged with the loss and is now 11-7 on the season.
Center fielder Jalia Lassiter got the Tigers’ offense started in the third inning. An RBI double allowed third baseman Avery Hodge to run home all the way from first and get the first run on the board for LSU. However, Faircloth ended the inning with another strikeout, leaving Lassiter and Edwards, who was hit by a pitch, stranded on base.
Senior catcher Maci Bergeron would see the lineup again after exiting the final game of LSU’s series versus Arizona a few weeks prior. In her first game back, Bergeron went 1-for-3 and drew a walk.
Mississippi State retaliated to take the lead in the bottom half of the third. After Heavener intentionally walked one of the Bulldogs’ best hitters, right fielder Kiarra Sells, Paige Ernstes knocked a three-run bomb out of the park to give them a 3-1 advantage over LSU.
Paytn Monticelli relieved Heavener in the third and recorded a quick 1-2-3 in the fourth and fifth innings, something that LSU desperately struggled to do early in the game before that said relief.
Monticelli’s sixth inning was a different story, however.
Ernstes led off the inning for the Bulldogs with a single, but a walk two at-bats later hung over Monticelli with only one away. Pinch-hitter Gretta Grassel was then the one to haunt the LSU defense when she stepped in the box.
Grassel, with two away, hit a single to the left side that Char Lorenz couldn’t pick up to drive in one for the Bulldogs and extended their lead by three. Lorenz then threw the ball to third, but the throw wasn’t in time.
It all went downhill after that very first throw.
Edwards – who wouldn’t be faulted, but instead the error was on Lorenz – attempted to get an out at second after the one at third was unsuccessful. Unfortunately for LSU, the ball went right past Sierra Daniel and back into the outfield, allowing the Bulldogs to earn another run and lead the Tigers 5-1.
Moving into the seventh, the ballgame’s drama only heightened.
As the rain picked up in Starkville, head coach Beth Torina was tossed out of the game right before a rain delay went underway. With Hodge reaching base before the delay, Hutchins immediately doubled to get two Tigers in scoring position following the games’ resumption.
A wild pitch from Faircloth allowed LSU to plate its second run of the game before she walked another batter to load the bases and conclude her night.
Faircloth was relieved by Leila Ammon, who walked Tori Edwards and allowed the Tigers to score another, now within two. Bergeron was the batter up at the plate with hopes to tie the ballgame on a base hit, but a final fielder’s choice out at second ended the Tigers’ chances.
The Tigers will look to even the series in Game 2, with the first pitch on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT.
