LSU has had its fair share of games this season where the outcome was never in doubt.
Seven of its 21 games have ended early in run rules, and four more have ended in margins of victories of at least three runs.
The Tigers have blazed to a 20-1 record so far on the strength of dominant all-around play that has them scoring 6.62 runs per game while allowing only 1.71, both top 30 marks in the nation.
That success has LSU ranked 15th in both the NFCA Coaches Poll and the ESPN USA Softball Poll, a rank that seems likely to continue to rise.
However, the best teams seldom go untested.
LSU headed west to the Judi Garman Classic at Anderson Family Field in Fullerton, California from March 3-5, and found itself in several tense situations. Each time, the Tigers responded and pulled out wins.
On March 5 against Michigan, LSU found itself in a defensive battle. The two teams combined for 14 strikeouts, and not much was accomplished by either team’s offense.
When it was needed, LSU came through. In the fifth inning, third baseman Danieca Coffey hit a solo home run that broke the scoreless tie. The following inning, Georgia Clark added a solo home run of her own to contribute a second run.
LSU starting pitcher Ali Kilponen retired the final seven batters of the game to clinch the 2-0 win and a complete game shutout.
That same day, LSU faced Loyola Marymount and came dangerously close to losing only its second game of the season. The Tigers fell into a three-run deficit in the first inning, with pitcher Raelin Chaffin conceding two home runs.
Freshman pitcher Sydney Berzon took over for Chaffin and held strong, notching eight strikeouts over her 96 pitches.
With Berzon stabilizing the Tigers, their offense responded and pulled ahead in the sixth inning thanks to a Ciara Briggs double that brought home three runners. Berzon allowed one more run in the seventh before Kilponen was called on to secure the final out in the 6-5 win.
After two relatively comfortable wins on Saturday versus Minnesota and San Jose State, LSU again faced adversity on Sunday against California Polytechnic.
The Tigers and pitcher Emilee Casanova found themselves in an early 0-2 hole in the second inning. The runs were unearned because of a Taylor Pleasants fielding error that would’ve added up to three outs and prevented the Mustangs’ scoring.
LSU responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of that frame, but would again be down by two after the top of the fourth inning, during which Casanova was pulled for Kilponen.
The Tigers generated a resounding response to the tune of 10 runs in the bottom of the fourth, including a Karli Petty grand slam. LSU turned a 2-4 deficit into a 12-4 victory by run rule after Kilponen successfully got the final three outs.
Throughout the weekend, LSU was challenged and pushed, but the team never faltered. Instead, the Tigers turned in yet another undefeated weekend.
LSU seems poised for a successful season that returns it to national prominence, but exactly how successful may be determined by the team’s ability to weather storms—how it responds to deficits and to adversity.
The Tigers’ performance at the Judi Garman Classic bodes well on that front. LSU has a good mix of depth and experience that should translate to a team that can take a few punches and swing right back.
Next, LSU will head into conference play, with a three-game series at South Carolina kicking off on Saturday, March 11, continuing a road trip that began on Feb. 26. The Tigers won’t host a game again until they play Tennessee on March 17.
