LEXINGTON, Ky. – A two-hour rain delay could not slow down No. 3 LSU’s bats as it tallied 13 hits in the 6-2 victory over No. 21/23 Kentucky Friday night at John Cropp Stadium.
LSU improves to 20-0 and 1-0 in the SEC, while Kentucky falls to 14-5 and 0-1 in league play. The Tigers are now 23-4 in SEC openers and 10-3 when starting league play on the road.
LSU registered its eighth game this season with 10 or more hits, and each starting Tiger logged a hit in the win. On the night, the Tigers had a .406 batting average.
Freshman third baseman Maddox McKee had an impressive SEC debut with two hits, two runs scored, and an RBI. Defensively, McKee had four assists and three putouts.
Three other Tigers, outfielders Ali Newland, McKenzie Redoutey, and second baseman Sierra Daniel, also recorded two hits in the game.
Pitcher Sydney Berzon (7-0) earned the win in a complete-game showing, allowing seven hits, two runs, and three walks with five punchouts.
Kentucky’s pitcher Stephanie Schoonover (8-2) picked up the loss, allowing eight hits, five runs, and four walked batters with two strikeouts in 2.2 innings. The Tigers were able to get to UK’s bullpen early, as relief pitcher Alexia Lacatena took over and allowed five hits and a run with no strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
After scoring two runs in the second inning, LSU’s lead ballooned to 5-0 after a third inning that featured three runs on four hits and three UK errors, highlighted by a run-scoring single from Newland.
The Wildcats scored a run on Erin Coffel’s RBI double in the bottom of the third but were stifled by the Tiger defense after having the bases loaded.
From the fourth to the sixth innings, Berzon retired six consecutive Wildcats until a run came across in the sixth.
The Tigers extended their lead 6-1 thanks to an RBI sacrifice fly from McKee in the sixth, but Kentucky responded with a run in the bottom half inning to make the score 6-2.
Berzon finished the game with a seventh inning shut down as she retired the batters in order, including her fifth strikeout of the night to end the game.
Up Next
Game two of the LSU-Kentucky series will be at 5 p.m. central on Saturday, March 9.
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