The No. 4 LSU softball team had a relatively quiet outing offensively in its midweek doubleheader Tuesday night against Longwood.
After a 4-0 win in Game 1, the Tigers (21-2) managed just one run in the nightcap and were stifled by an impressive Lancers’ (9-7) pitching staff, led by junior Elizabeth McCarthy.
LSU manufactured just five total runs on 10 hits over the 14 innings. Coach Beth Torina’s team struggled from the plate, going 5-for-21 in each of the matchups.
“You’ve got to give credit to [McCarthy],” said sophomore center fielder Emily Griggs. “She did a great job moving the ball and hitting her spots.”
Griggs said there were no frustrations in the dugout and the Tigers listened to Torina and hitting coach Howard Dobson when discussing their issues.
Even when LSU got runners aboard, the squad failed to take advantage. The hometown team left eight players stranded in each of the contests.
With the offense’s lackluster performance, the Tigers were not going to win without good pitching — and that’s exactly what the bullpen provided.
Junior pitcher Baylee Corbello started Game 2 in the circle for LSU and had her best performance of 2016. She struck out a season-high 11 batters and allowed just three hits in the shutout.
The Lake Charles native allowed just five runners to reach during the contest.
“It was one of the best performances I’ve seen her have,” Torina said. “She steps up like that when our team needs her … [She understands] being a veteran, understanding the situation, understanding the importance of this game going into this weekend and wanting to go into this weekend on a high note.”
The junior nearly tallied her fifth complete game of the year, but after 6.2 innings, the junior hurler was replaced by sophomore Carley Hoover. She used two pitches to record the final out and earn her first save of the season.
But Corbello wasn’t the only Tiger to pitch on Tuesday.
Freshman Sydney Smith pitched a complete game shutout and gave up just five hits. She recorded eight strikeouts and walked just one, while lowering her ERA to 0.62.
The two wins extended LSU’s win streak to 17, and they have not loss since falling to then-No. 9 Arizona, 3-0, on Feb. 19.
“We’ve won in a lot of different ways,” Torina said. “I don’t think it has been any one thing. Tonight we won with pitching. Against LA Tech, we won with offense. We’ve won with the long ball. We’ve won with manufacturing runs. I think that’s a strength of this team.”
LSU was held in check thanks to McCarthy. She was pulled in the first game after two innings thrown and three runs allowed, but was far better in the late game.
The junior tossed a six inning complete game, allowing just one run to the potent Tigers’ offense.
The team will face arguably its toughest test of the season when No. 6 Alabama comes to Baton Rouge for a top-10 Southeastern Conference series on Friday at 6 p.m.
But before the series Torina said the team has a lot of room for improvement.
“I could make you a long list [of things to work on],” Torina said. “We have two days to get ready for them. We have a good plan, a good idea of what we need to do. We will be prepared for them.”

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Javier Fernández

LSU sophomore outfielder Emily Griggs (8) celebrates after scoring a run during game one of the Tigers' 4-0 victory against Longwood University on Tuesday, Mar. 8, 2016 in Tiger Park.