Softball: McNeese 1 / #19 LSU 10 FINAL! LADY TIGERS WIN - Run-rule five innings

https://lsusports.net/news/2022/04/25/softball-host-mcneese-in-final-midweek-game/


BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 19 LSU (30-17) will host McNeese State (29-17) for its final midweek game this season at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26 at Tiger Park.

Tuesday’s midweek contest will be televised on SEC Network with Mike Couzens and Kayla Braud calling the action. Patrick Wright will also call the game on the LSU Sports Radio Network, 107.3 FM in the Baton Rouge area.

LSU is coming off an overall 3-1 weekend that began with a 7-1 victory at McNeese State last Tuesday in Lake Charles, La. Most recently, the Tigers earned a 2-1 series win at Georgia April 22-24 where they won the first and last game of the series.

The Tigers have a .296 batting average behind 364 hits, featuring a SEC-best 80 doubles (No. 5 in the NCAA) 52 home runs, and 264 RBIs. Defensively, the Tigers have the fourth lowest ERA in the conference at 2.91 with 256 strikeouts.

Sophomore Danieca Coffey paces the Tigers with a .390 batting average, followed by sophomore Ciara Briggs who is hitting .387 this season. Both have 60 hits (No. 3 in SEC, No. 15 in NCAA), while Briggs leads the team with 45 runs scored and 20 multiple hit games. Sophomore Taylor Pleasants, who hit two home runs against the Cowgirls last week, is hitting .324 this season and leads the team with 24 extra-base hits, including a team-high 13 doubles. Junior Georgia Clark (.271) and senior Shelbi Sunseri (.259) leads LSU with 13 home runs this season – a mark tied with Pleasants (2021) at No. 9 in the program’s record book for the most homers in a single season. Sunseri ranks No. 3 all-time with 46 career home runs, while Clark leads the SEC and ranks No. 6 in the NCAA with 54 RBIs.

Junior Ali Kilponen is 16-4 in the circle with a 2.25 ERA. Her 120 strikeouts sit No. 7 in the SEC and has totaled five shutouts and one no-hitter this season. Sunseri is 6-7 with a 3.16 ERA and 52 strikeouts, and freshman Raelin Chaffin is 6-2 this season on the rubber with a 3.30 ERA, 46 strikeouts, and has two complete games and one shutout in 13 appearances.

THE LINEUP

LSU is 36-3 in the all-time series against McNeese State and increased its winning streak to 11 games with last week’s win.

After the loss to the Tigers, the Cowgirls went on to sweep Lamar in a non-conference three-game series. McNeese has a .278 batting average with 323 hits and has a 2.74 ERA with 180 strikeouts.

Sophomore Jill Poullard leads the Cowgirls with a .387 batting average, 43 hits, 34 RBIs, six home runs, and 15 stolen bases. Junior Kendall Talley follows with a .347 average and matches Polluard’s 43 hits while leading the team with 37 runs scored. Freshman Crislyne Moreno (.323), junior Kaylee Lopez (.304), and junior Alayis Seneca (.303) rounds out the top hitters for McNeese.

In the last meeting, the Tigers saw sophomore Ashley Vallejo in the circle who is 11-7 with a 2.50 ERA and has 97 strikeouts to lead the team. Sophomore Shaelyn Sanders (6-2) has a staff-low 2.12 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 69.1 innings pitched, and sophomore Whitney Tate (10-7) has a 3.31 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 99.1 innings pitched.

ON DECK

LSU will host its final SEC series April 29-May 1 against Florida at Tiger Park.

Taylor Pleasants with an RBI single. Coffey scored

1-0 LSU bottom 1st

Georgia Clark hits a homerun

Briggs scores

7-0 LSU bottom 2nd

Run-rule in five innings