Nicholls State went down swinging.
That was the case Wednesday night, as Nicholls State batters recorded just four hits and whiffed six times against LSU pitchers in an 8-0 whitewash for the Tigers (22-12).
It was also a punch-out in a figurative sense for the Colonels (9-24), who took their third crack at LSU this year with similarly disastrous results. In three games this season, LSU has socked Nicholls by a total of 27-2, with all three of its victories coming via run-rule decision.
“We’ve handled Nicholls pretty good for three times now, so we seem to have their number,” said LSU coach Yvette Girouard. “The next three games might be a whole lot different.”
Wednesday’s lopsided score line reflected an efficient effort from a Tiger team that now sits on a seven-game winning streak. LSU scored in every inning of the shortened game, with the lineup doing most of its damage in the early going. The Tigers capitalized on a walk and had two batters hit by pitches to spark a four-run second inning.
“They put a lot of pressure on the [Nicholls] defense tonight,” Girouard said. “They can create so much havoc out there, and tonight we saw it.”
After battling what Girouard described as a “lull,” in recent outings, the heart of the Tigers’ order got to work against the Colonels. Junior outfielder Ashley Langoni and junior shortstop Juliana Santos paced the lineup, as they each picked up two RBIs.
At no point did LSU’s hitters overpower the Colonels — they simply found ways to the bases. The Tigers didn’t knock a single extra-base hit on the night, though they recorded 11 hits.
“When you put the ball in play, sooner or later someone’s going to make a mistake,” Langoni said.
Instead, they frustrated the opposition on the base paths, stealing four bases and scoring five of their runs on either fielder’s choice plays or sacrifices.
“I’m sure it’s frustrating because you know that if you make one little mistake, they’re on,” Girouard said. “The first time I ever saw a slapper, I thought it was the ‘chickenest’ way to get on. And then when I tried to defend it I was thinking, ‘Hmmm, I need to go get me some of those.'”
The fours were strong for sophomore pitcher Rachele Fico (8-8), who did the heavy lifting for the LSU pitching staff.
She gave up four hits and struck out four batters in a four-inning appearance, giving her a streak of 20 scoreless innings pitched.
“We hit a rough patch earlier in the season, and we’re coming through it,” Fico said. “We’re just on a roll right now, and we need to keep going with our momentum.”
 
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Contact David Helman at [email protected]