No. 18 LSU pulled off an upset win Friday night, defeating No. 12 Arizona 4-1.
This marks LSU’s fourth win of the season as the lower-ranked team, and also keeps them undefeated at Tiger Park against the Wildcats.
The Tigers’ win came off the back of Jayden Heavner’s strong performance, along with great fielding throughout the entire contest, holding one of the NCAA’s best offensive teams to only one run and five hits.
Despite the win, LSU and Arizona would have similar offensive production, with both teams recording five hits.
Along with the top-25 showdown, LSU softball also started celebrating the sixth annual “All for Alex” weekend. “All for Alex” weekend is celebrated by all of the SEC, honoring Mississippi State’s Alex Wilcox, who passed away in 2018 after a long battle with ovarian cancer.
LSU participated in the festivities by painting the field’s tiger logo teal, while many players got involved by wearing teal hair ties.
In the first inning, LSU’s fielding got off to an awful start and gave up an early run.
This occurred after an error, where Tori Edawrds failed to catch a ball at first after a bunt, leading to it rolling all the way into the outfield for an inside-the-park homerun for Arizona’s speedy second basemen Serenity Trice.
LSU would be able to force two outs on the following at-bats, escaping the inning only one run down.
In the Tigers’ first inning at the plate, Jaila Lassiter and Alix Franklin managed to get on base off walks, but strong Wildcat fielding would hold them scoreless after Jenae Berry recorded her first strikeout of the contest.
Heavner would deal some excellent pitches at the top of the second, recording a quick 1-2-3 out inning off two flyouts and a groundout.
Arizona would not be fazed by LSU’s strong fielding, though, as it would force a 1-2-3 out inning of their own off three straight flyouts.
The Wildcats’ offense would pick up at the start of the third, as batters would record singles, leading to runners on first and third base. The Tiger defense would handle the pressure, though, and record two straight flyouts to keep Arizona at only one run.
LSU would also get its offense going in the third, with Avery Hodge and Lassiter getting on base off a single and a walk. Tiger Park would then explode in cheers on the next at-bat, as Sierra Daniel rocketed a ball into the scoreboard in right-center field for a three-run home run.
This marked Daniel’s second home run of the season, in her second straight game after her homer on Tuesday against Central Arkansas.
But in the top half of the fourth, despite a ball being caught right before it went over the right-field wall, LSU again managed to hold Arizona scoreless in the fourth.
On LSU’s turn at-bat, Char Lorenz would get the offense going after being walked. Torina would then decide to replace Rylie Johnson at DP with the more experienced Allie Hutchins.
The decision would prove to be a great one, as Hutchins would drive a double deep into left field, setting Lorenz up nicely at third base.
On the next at-bat, Hodge would attempt a sacrifice fly to send Lorenz home, but the ball fell too short as the Wildcats easily forced Lorenz out at home after a bad decision to try to score. This would be a big miss for LSU, as the double play ended the inning with runners still in great position.
Arizona would start to fight back in the fifth, as they loaded up the bases off singles and a walk. With all the pressure on Heavner, she’d force a clutch inning-ending flyout, caught by Alix Franklin for her fourth putout of the contest.
LSU would be held hitless at the bottom of the fifth, keeping the contest in reach for Arizona, as they’d sit only down two with two innings to go.
Despite needing a score, Arizona could not get anything in the sixth inning, as LSU would again hold them hitless.
To add insult to injury, Arizona’s defense seemed to stall out at the bottom of the sixth. Tori Edwards would start the offense off with a double into left field, before Lorenz would send her home with a single, advancing the Tiger lead to three runs.
Arizona would now need a huge seventh inning to stay in the game, but Heavner would not let that happen.
Despite not recording a strikeout through the whole contest, Heavner would rack up three straight strikeouts to end the contest 4-1.
LSU looks to secure the series early with another win against Arizona in Game 2, which is on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. CT.
