The LSU softball team held South Carolina scoreless while completing a weekend sweep Sunday afternoon with a 9-0 win in six innings in Columbia, S.C.
The three-game sweep marked LSU’s 13th straight win over the Gamecocks (19-16, 2-6 Southeastern Conference).
“[The pitchers] were just dominant,” said LSU coach Beth Torina. “There’s not a moment where they don’t come up with a big pitch. They really keep people off balance.”
The Tigers (23-8, 7-1 SEC) established early leads in each contest, scoring in the game’s opening frame in all three.
“If we come out and score first, it puts a lot of pressure on them to come back and score right behind of us,” said LSU senior outfielder Ashley Langoni. “If they don’t score, it just sets the tone for the whole game that we’re on top.”
LSU junior pitcher Rachele Fico earned the complete-game, 5-0 victory in the circle in Friday’s contest, striking out 10 while allowing just four hits.
Freshman outfielder A.J. Andrews paced the Tigers in the leadoff position, batting 2-for-3, scoring two runs and adding an RBI single.
Senior pitcher Brittany Mack started in the circle Saturday and carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning before allowing a single with one out in the frame.
Mack earned the victory – her 10th of the season – in the Tiger’s second straight 5-0 triumph.
Langoni belted a two-run home run to straightaway center in the third inning and homered again in the first inning of Sunday’s 9-0 victory.
LSU scored each of its nine runs Sunday with two outs, which Torina said is indicative of the Tigers approach at the plate.
“It shows that we continue to battle,” Torina said. “It doesn’t matter what pitch in the count or how many outs there are, we’re going to continue to fight for quality at-bats.”
Senior shortstop Juliana Santos, who batted behind Langoni in the fourth position, struck for three hits Sunday including her first home run of the season. Each of Santos’ hits came after Langoni reached base on a walk.
“I know being around her, I’m going to see a little bit better pitches than she will,” Santos said. “I just have to get the job done when they do stuff like that.”
Torina said Santos faces added pressure batting behind Langoni because many teams will pitch around Langoni to face Santos.
“It’s tough to hit behind [Langoni] a lot of days,” Torina said. “It really doesn’t faze Juliana. She does a nice job in that spot.”
Fico (11-4) earned her second win of the weekend on Sunday, pitching five innings and allowing two hits before giving way to sophomore Meghan Patterson, who came on for the game’s final three outs.
“Our pitching staff was on-point,” Fico said. “We just had some phenomenal performances. It’s a lot of fun to play in a game like that when your team is playing so well behind you.”
The Tigers outscored the Gamecocks, 19-0, in the three games, extending their win streak to a season-best seven games and handing South Carolina its seventh straight defeat.
LSU goes back on the road Wednesday to face McNeese State (19-8) at 6 p.m. in Lake Charles.
 
—-
Contact Scott Branson at [email protected]