LAFAYETTE, La. – The No. 21/22 LSU softball team (13-5) turned in its second win over a nationally ranked opponent as they shutout No. 21 UL-Lafayette (10-3), 4-0 Thursday night at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park.
It is LSU’s eighth consecutive win and third consecutive shutout.
Shelbi Sunseri (4-1) registered her second consecutive game with zero earned runs in the combined shutout. Sunseri struck out two batters and gave up three hits, while Ali Kilponen picked up her first save of the season with two strikeouts to close the game.
Ciara Briggs stretched her hitting streak to eight games going 2-for-4 at the dish and Georgia Clark led the team with two RBI off a single. Sunseri and McKenzie Redoutey also contributed hits in the game and Redoutey recorded her 10th RBI this year.
After three scoreless innings, Briggs led off the fourth inning with a double to right center, Pleasants was hit by a pitch, and Sunseri recorded a bunt single to load the bases with no outs. Clark cleaned it up with a two RBI single up the middle to put the Tigers on the board in what turned out to be a four-run half inning.
ULL threatened in the bottom of the seventh and had two runners on base before Kilponen came in relief. After popping up the first batter she faced, Kilponen struck out the final two batters she matched up against to get the save.
Head Coach Beth Torina
On the seventh inning drama…
“It was about the fifth inning when I knew that it was not going to end quietly, and it never does. ULL is too good of a team to just go down quietly so I figured there was some drama left in this ballgame and that we would have to figure out how to get some outs in a high-pressure situation.”
On the four-run fourth inning…
“I think we capitalized on a lot of things that inning. We had success manufacturing runs and I thought we did a good job of getting our runners on and in scoring position.”
On Sunseri’s performance…
“Steady is a great word to describe her. Steady is what she does for our team. She is calming and you always know what you are getting from her, and it will be something that will keep you in every ballgame. I am proud of the effort she had today, and that is why we have a staff. I think her and Ali [Kilponen] together are an incredible matchup and we like to see them both when we can because I think it makes them both better.”
On Georgia Clark’s timely two RBI single…
“She is a great hitter. She has been in so many big situations that there is no situation too big for Georgia. I think a lot of what they have been through in their career and last season by playing the schedule we played, our returners and experienced kids have been in a ton of situations that has given them confidence.”
ON DECK
The Tigers will continue the LSU Invitational at Tiger Park Friday with a doubleheader against Troy at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
(Summary via LSU Athletics)