Small moments continuously reset LSU softball on Friday as it topped Akron 8-0 in a six-inning matchup in the opening round of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional.
From sticks to leather, everything was hot for the Tigers on Friday night. The energy was blazing after three straight strikeouts from sophomore left-hand pitcher Jayden Heavener, and it continued in the bottom half of the inning with three quick runs from the offense.
“I think it’s really important for us to come out and set a tone today to just start the postseason on the right foot,” LSU head coach Beth Torina said postgame. “I think that was obvious by the lineup we wrote and the way we approached the game. We knew we had a really quality opponent in Akron, so we wanted to make sure we showed up.”
Heavener wouldn’t go stagnant at any point in the game, but the bats would briefly. The southpaw continued her explosive streak all the way into the third inning, where she would finally let her defense participate in the game.
She struck out the first six outs of the game before allowing the first Akron hit in the third, and even then the purple and gold defense didn’t participate until shortstop Kylee Edwards made the second out of the third inning.
Heavener shoved six innings, allowing zero runs on three hits. She struck out 11 and gave up three free passes. She was the heartbeat of the Tiger flame all night, and it was due to the week of practice prior to the regional competition.
“I feel like this week’s preparation that we’ve worked on little things mechanically and just hitting my spots,” Heavener said postgame. “Just working on little things with my spins and everything, just coming out there with confidence and knowing things that I’ve done in the past and knowing who I am and just playing throughout this game.”
Even in the fifth inning jam she found herself in, she pitched her way out of it with runners on second and third base. She was the electricity the Tigers needed all season.
The bats went a bit silent for five outs following the three-run first inning, but they reignited in the bottom of the third inning.
Heavener poured fuel all over the dugout after her seven-straight strikeout performance to open the contest, and sophomore right fielder Alix Franklin lit the match with a solo home run to get the scoring party restarted.
Franklin has been a spitfire all season with her clutch hits. The home-grown talent showed out in her first NCAA Tournament start, and for good reason.
After a slow start to each of the NCAA Tournament games in 2025, Torina and her staff did everything they could to hit the ground running in the 2026 postseason, and they succeeded with Game 2 of the Baton Rouge Regional.
“I think we filled in a million questions about how it’s gone in the past, and I think we just wanted to make sure we had a good, solid start and temperature over the rest of the weekend,” Torina said postgame.
The Tigers were on the hot seat after being kicked from their own regional a season ago by Southeastern Louisiana University from less than an hour down Interstate 10. There was a lot to prove for Torina and her staff, and the overall performance from LSU showed the agenda of the season.
For once, the LSU softball team didn’t peak too early in the season, making all the difference on Friday.
Because of this, the Tigers will face Virginia Tech at noon on Saturday for the 1-0 game. The winner will find themselves in the catbird seat entering the championship Sunday.
