Strength-on-strength matchups are always intriguing in sports because of their unpredictability. There’s never any foolproof way to know what will happen when a good offense meets a good defense, or when two star players are directly matched against each other.
Strength on strength was certainly the case when No. 13 LSU met No. 16 Alabama for a weekend series. The Tigers entered the series ranked No. 2 in the conference in batting average during SEC play. Although LSU has struggled converting those hits to runs–it ranked No. 7 in runs scored during SEC play–the Tigers still have a formidable offense.
LSU’s offense was in an especially good place heading into the series against Alabama, coming off an excellent weekend in its sweep over Mississippi State. The Tigers put up 37 hits on a .425 batting average over three games, converting that into 25 runs. The sweep was LSU’s first of the SEC season, and head coach Beth Torina called it crucial for her team at this point of the season.
The Crimson Tide, on the other hand, have specialized in pitching this year. Alabama entered the series ranked No. 1 in the SEC in ERA during SEC play and No. 2 in strikeouts.
Most of that proficiency is thanks to Alabama’s star fifth-year pitcher, Montana Fouts. Fouts, the 2021 NFCA Pitcher of the Year, leads the country in strikeouts so far this season with 262 and is No. 11 in innings pitched.
Fouts has been leaned on heavily this season, appearing in 35 of Alabama’s 52 games. She’s picked up 25 starts on the season and has often gone the distance, notching a complete game in 20 of them.
“Fouts is really special,” Torina said ahead of the series. “We give her a ton of respect and a ton of credit for what she’s done, but we’ll do our best to try to crack the code.”
The team expressed confidence that despite the tough matchup, LSU would be prepared.
“I don’t think it changes much compared to normally,” said shortstop Taylor Pleasants about her approach at the plate facing Fouts and Alabama. “Set a plan, sit on a pitch and attack it.”
“Our advantage in this series is we have a lot more depth to our pitching staff,” Torina said. “We have a lot of arms to go to, and we believe in all of them.”
The series was a pivotal one, given that both teams entered with even conference records of 10-8. With two weekends left in the regular season, both Alabama and LSU needed wins to move themselves up the SEC standings before the SEC Tournament.
At the end of the weekend, the edge went to the side of Alabama’s pitching; LSU lost two of the series’ three games, both against Fouts.
In the Friday opener, LSU allowed Alabama to go ahead on a two-run home run in the first inning. Alabama added to its lead with runs in the second and third, and Fouts preserved that 4-0 lead the rest of the way.
All four of Alabama’s runs were scored with two outs, with LSU pitcher Sydney Berzon failing to seal the deal in each inning. On the other side, LSU produced only six baserunners in the game. The Tigers produced two singles to open the game, but Fouts and Alabama calmly collected three consecutive outs with a double play and a put out, setting the tone for the contest.
On Saturday, with Alabama forced to turn to a different pitcher, LSU pounced for four runs and five hits in the top of the first inning. Veteran pitcher, Ali Kilponen, dealt on the mound to contain the Crimson Tide offense, allowing only two hits. The Tigers prevailed by a score of 6-1.
In the series finale the next day, Fouts once again started in the circle for Alabama. LSU again had no answer, coming up with only two hits. LSU allowed a home run in the bottom of the first, but its two pitchers, Kilponen and Berzon, combined to allow three hits and a walk.
Despite the solid performance from LSU’s pitchers, the Tigers would lose the game, 0-2. Fouts did what she does best: extinguish offenses.
“It was a tough battle today,” Torina said after the loss in a press release. “We need to make quicker adjustments with our offense.”
Now 11-10 in SEC play, LSU is ranked sixth in the conference standings. Still in the midst of a logjam in the middle of the conference, the Tigers could finish as high as third or as low as ninth with only three games left to play.
With the top four seeds receiving first-round byes in the SEC Tournament, LSU’s final weekend series against Georgia will be important. However, Georgia (15-5 in SEC play) has a hold on the second spot in the conference’s standings behind Tennessee (17-3), meaning a series win will not come easy for the Tigers.
Offensive adjustments will be necessary after a weekend in which an elite pitcher dismantled LSU’s offense, especially heading into May, the time of the year when a team faces a strong pitching staff each week.
