Normally a sweep versus two SEC teams never happens, but that’s exactly what LSU did versus Georgia in Athens.
LSU improved to a six game winning streak. The win was also special because this is the first time Georgia has been swept since 2001. Game one of the series LSU won by a score of 11-4 followed the rest of the weekend by scores of 6-4 and 7-4.
“We went into the games very prepared,” freshman pitcher Shelby Wickersham said. “We’d been working hard all week, working hard all season. I think that was just all of our hard work paying off.”
Game one started with Tigers taking the lead after an RBI from sophomore Shelbi Sunseri. The Bulldogs didn’t back down by hitting a homer to gain three runs and take the lead. They continued to push gaining yet another run causing head coach Beth Torina to take Wickersham out of the circle.
Wickersham was followed up by freshman Ali Kilponen who saving the inning getting two outs to end it. The Tigers’ bats came alive in the second inning with seven runs to take the lead, which the Bulldogs never got back. This was Kilponen’s first SEC win in the circle.
“[Kilponen] did a great job,” Torina said. “I think that was huge. It was a big difference maker in the series. She was able to come in and kind of save the day really. It would have been easy for a kid like that to check out, but she stayed with it. She kept working and we had a huge performance from her for us.”
The game two victory clinched the series for the Tigers. Georgia took the lead this game game getting three runs in the first inning while LSU remained scoreless until the third. However, top of the third LSU started to do what they’re known for. Sunseri stepped up after a few hits and gained her 13th home run of the season to tie up the game 3-3.
Senior Elyse Thornhill then stepped up for another home run pushing the Tigers to lead 5-2. As the game entered the seventh inning LSU held the lead. The Bulldogs put up an extra run, but so did the Tigers to finish the game.
The Tigers went into game three confident from the first two wins, but wanting the third. The Tiger bats continued to show out right in the first inning with three runs. That lead was held up until the fifth inning when LSU gained two more off of a few hits and errors. The Bulldogs tried to come back scoring in the fifth and sixth, but it wasn’t enough to win.
“Everybody had confidence in the pitchers,” senior catcher Michaela Schlattman said. “Everybody had confidence in our defense. Everybody was super confident with our hitting so when everyone has confidence it’s just so much more fun.”
