The No. 21 LSU Tigers shut out the No. 20 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns 4-0 at Lamson Park on Thursday night. The win is the third straight over Louisiana and sixth in the last eighth meetings between the two programs.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
After two scoreless innings, LSU got the first hit of the game as McKenzie Redoutey led off with an infield single to reach first base. Redoutey would advance all the way to third base on two passed balls but the Tigers stranded her.
Louisiana’s Sam Landry struck out Raeleen Gutierrez looking, got Cait Calland to pop up and then had Danieca Coffey ground out to end the threat.
In the bottom frame, the Ragin’ Cajuns got their first hit of the game.
Melissa Mayeaux hit a single up the middle and Frankie Izard — who was brought in to pinch run for Mayeaux — advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kayla Falterman. LSU’s Shelbi Sunseri got out of the jam by getting Stormy Kotzelnick and pinch hitter Karly Heath to both ground out.
LSU got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth as Ciara Briggs led off with a hard hit double to right-center field and then Taylor Pleasants was hit by a pitch from Landry. Sunseri then laid down a great bunt and reached first to load the bases with no outs.
Georgia Clark would then lace a single up the middle to plate two runs. Ali Newland drew a walk which loaded the bases again. Landry was pulled for Kandra Lamb.
Lamb would walk Redoutey on four pitches which brought in another run. Lamb then got Gutierrez to fly out and a mistake on the bath paths allowed the Cajuns to pull off the double play with the runner thrown out at home.
LSU would plate its fourth and final run of the inning as a passed ball let Newland to score.
Louisiana tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh.
Taylor Roman drew a leadoff walk and then was joined on the base paths by Alexa Langeliers who also drew a walk. LSU’s Sunseri was relieved by Ali Kilponen who proceeded to get Mayeaux to pop up to third base but Falterman reached on a fielder’s choice, while Roman advanced to third on a fielding error.
Kilponen managed to get Kotzelnick to strike out swinging and then pinch hitter Kramer Eschete to do the same to earn the save.
BIG NUMBER: 2,689
The announced attendance for the I-10 matchup between the two I-10 rivals was 2,689.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: SHELBI SUNSERI
LSU’s star pitcher was very steady inside the circle as she gave up only three hits, no runs, and got out of more than a few jams by forcing nine ground outs in six innings of work.
UP NEXT: LSU (13-5) will return to Tiger Park to play a doubleheader Friday evening against Troy (4:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.). Louisiana (10-3) will play a double-header when it hosts Central Connecticut State (2:30 p.m.) and then Louisiana Tech (5 p.m.).