After going undefeated in the Baton Rouge Regional, the LSU Tigers softball team headed to the West Coast for a Super Regional matchup against Stanford. The Tigers put up three runs early but exploded in the fifth to get the 11-1 run rule win over the Cardinal and take the 1-0 series lead.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
McKenzie Redoutey led off the game with a single then advanced to after Ciara Briggs reached first on a fielding error by the Stanford shortstop. Kelley Lynch hit an RBI double into left field and then Raeleen Gutierrez singled up the middle to bring in Briggs and Lynch and put the Tigers up three early.
Stanford responded at the bottom of the first as Sydney Berzon walked the first two batters she faced. Ava Gall reached on the fielder’s choice to put runners on first and third. Aly Kaneshiro then hit an RBI single for the Cardinal’s first run.
The Tigers had an opportunity to extend their lead in the third inning as Gutierrez and Taylor Pleasants each hit a single to begin the inning. After Ali Newland and Maci Bergeron both got out, Hannah Carson pinch hit for Madyson Manning and hit into a fielder’s choice for the final out.
Cardinal starting pitcher NiJaree Canady recorded a couple of strikeouts in the fourth but had her night end in the fifth. It began with a single by Gutierrez as Maia Townsend pinch ran and Pleasants single down the first with Stanford’s first baseman grabbing the ball before it could roll foul.
Newland then hit a three-run bomb over right field to put LSU up five and force Cardinal coach Jessica Allister to make the pitching change to Regan Krause. Bergeron was the first batter the senior pitcher faced and gave up a solo home run to the Tigers’ sophomore catcher. After that, Karli Petty, Redoutey, and Briggs hit singles to load the bases with Lynch then hitting a grand slam to put LSU up by 10 runs. Stanford made another switch at pitcher as Kylie Chung appeared on the mound and gave up a double and hit Newland in the head but the base runners were left stranded.
Stanford had to score a couple of runs at the bottom of the frame to avoid getting run-ruled but Berzon struck out a couple more batters to secure the 11-1 win and give LSU the one-game lead in this best-of-three Super Regionals series.
BIG NUMBER: 8
An eight-run fifth inning helped break open the game for LSU as three different players hit home runs. The Tigers almost hit for the home run cycle as the three scoring plays were a solo shot, a three-run homer, and a grand slam.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kelley Lynch
Lynch finished the night going 2/4 from the plate but recorded two runs and five RBI, including her first home run of the season. That homer was a grand slam that capped off LSU’s prolific fifth inning and gave Beth Torina’s squad the 11-1 win.
UP NEXT: LSU and Stanford softball will play game two of the NCAA Super Regional late on Saturday night. The first pitch at Boyd & Jill Family Stadium will be at 8:00 p.m.