Pitcher Jayden Heavener logged her third complete-game shutout this season, and infielder Avery Hodge turned in a career-high five RBI to lead No. 4/5 LSU in a 10-0 five-inning win over Minnesota on day two of the LSU Round Robin.
LSU moves to 22-1 on the year, and Minnesota falls to 10-11 after splitting its day at the LSU Round Robin.
Heavener (6-1) dealt 11 strikeouts for the club’s first 12 outs and struck out the side three times in the first four innings. The freshman left-hander dominated the opposing batters by giving up only one hit and two walks. Heavener has four games with double-digit strikeouts this season.
“Another day with double-digit strikeouts for Jayden [Heavener],” head coach Beth Torina said. “Despite starting slow, I was confident she would get back to form. She is a very special player, and I believe she had a great day. She continues to prove that she is made for this.”
Minnesota’s Jessa Snippes (1-2) received the loss after allowing seven hits, six runs, and two walks with no strikeouts in the first 3.0 innings.
Six LSU Tigers recorded a hit as the team scored 10 runs on eight hits and had 10 RBI. Hodge (2-for-3) and catcher Maci Bergeron (2-for-2) led the way with multiple hits, and Hodge accounted for half of the club’s RBI.
“Avery [Hodge] has been having a really good weekend—just a really solid weekend,” said Coach Torina. “She is capable of so many awesome things, both offensively and defensively, so it’s fun to see her excel, and there’s nothing like an Avery Hodge celebration.”
Friday night’s hitting rolled over to Saturday afternoon as the LSU offense scored six runs on three hits in the first, highlighted by RBI singles from Bergeron and infielder Sierra Daniel and a two-RBI single by Hodge.
After LSU had gone scoreless for two stanzas, the Tigers loaded the bases on walks in the fourth. Designated player McKaela Walker walked in a run, and Hodge hit her first extra-base hit of the season, a base-clearing triple to increase LSU’s margin to 10-0.
Heavener put Minnesota’s third base runner on first with a walk, and the defense went to work, recording a foul out and groundouts to Hodge and Daniel (second base) to seal the game. The fifth inning was the only inning that Heavener did not record a strikeout.
Up Next
On Sunday, LSU will conclude the LSU Round Robin with a 1:30 p.m. CT game against Minnesota.
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