After senior designated player Kellsi Kloss singled to right field, which drove in one run and allowed another to score via a throwing error, the No. 11 LSU softball appeared to have taken 2-0 lead against Mississippi State in the fifth inning on Saturday.
Then, the umpires stepped in.
Kloss had been replaced in the previous inning by a pinch runner and failed to check back in when she reentered the batting order. As a result of an apparent coaching error, her at-bat was recorded as an out, ending the frame and nullifying the two runs.
 “A coach of the team making the substitution shall immediately notify the plate umpire at the time a substitute enters the game,” section 8.5 of the NCAA softball rulebook states. “Substitutes shall be considered officially in the game when the substitution is reported to and accepted by the plate umpire and recorded on the official lineup card”
However, the Tigers (31-13, 6-11 Southeastern Conference) would eventually make up for the miscue, defeating to the Bulldogs (23-19, 3-11 SEC), 5-2, in 12 innings at Nusz Park in Starkville, Mississippi.
After Mississippi State broke the scoreless stalemate with a run in the sixth, LSU entered the seventh down to its final three outs. Senior third baseman Bianka Bell made sure the contest wouldn’t end there, blasting her eighth home run of the year to tie the game.
Kloss then notched a one-out single to put a runner on for junior catcher Sahvanna Jaquish. Jaquish sent a double down the left field line to score Kloss.
The Bulldogs responded, putting two runners on and ending LSU starting pitcher sophomore Allie Walljasper’s day in favor of fellow sophomore hurler Carley Hoover. Hoover allowed Mississippi State to tie the game on a wild pitch but escaped a bases-loaded jam to send the game to extra innings.
A pitchers’ duel resumed for four scoreless innings with minimal action, until the Tigers opened it up in the 12th.
LSU snapped the 2-2 deadlock on senior first baseman Sandra Simmons RBI sacrifice fly, following junior right fielder Bailey Landry struck a leadoff triple. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Jaquish, who blasted a RBI-single to center field to produce the final scoreline.
The victory ended a five-game SEC skid for the Tigers and evened the series at one game a piece. After struggling in Game 1, Hoover was much improved in relief en route to her 12th win this season.
She allowed no runs, a walk and one hit, while recording six strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work.
LSU’s offense produced 14 hits but struggled to bring runners home. The team was 1-for-17 with runners in scoring position and stranded a program-record 20 on the basepaths.
Both squads will look to win the series when they clash the in rubber match, which set for 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.