Right-hand pitcher Kelley Lynch threw her third complete game shutout this season and No. 2 LSU’s ninth shutout on the year with a 3-0 victory over Ole Miss Saturday afternoon at Tiger Park.
The win brings LSU to 24-0 and 4-0 in SEC play. The Tigers are one win shy of matching the program’s best start, joining the 2015 team. Ole Miss falls to 18-8 and 1-3 in league play.
Lynch improves to 4-0 in the circle after fanning four batters and allowing two hits and four walks with a total of 102 pitched thrown.
“Kelley’s [Lynch] performance was huge,” said Head Coach Beth Torina. “She threw a great game in a spot where we needed her to. Keeping Sydney Berzon out of the game while throwing a great game was wonderful. Kelley got herself out of some jams and pitched well enough to keep us in it long enough to score.”
Ole Miss’ Catelyn Riley (3-3) is charged the loss after surrendering one unearned run, four hits and three walks in 4.0 innings pitched. Riley logged the Rebels’ only strikeout of the day.
Outfielders Ciara Briggs and Ali Newland extended their hitting streaks to five games, leading the team with two hits each. Briggs drove in an insurance run in the sixth inning, and Newland scored the game’s first run.
After surrendering her second walk of the second inning, Lynch retired eight of her next nine batters, including two strikeouts through the fourth stanza. From there, the graduate transfer allowed just three base runners, including two hits and a walk, and had a defense behind her that turned two double plays to end the fifth and seventh innings.
“I think we played outstanding defense,” said Coach Torina. “I also think we have the best shortstop in the country, so every time we take the field, you’ll see great defense being played.”
The Tigers scored the first run of the game when Newland touched home plate thanks to a fielding error by the Rebels.
After four scoreless innings, catcher Maci Bergeron drew a leadoff walk, second baseman Karli Petty singled to left field, and Lynch’s sac bunt put runners on second and third with one out. Third baseman Sierra Daniel drove in a run on a ground out to the second baseman, and Briggs cashed in on a run-scoring single to left field to make the game 3-0.
“I thought we did a really good job of executing,” Coach Torina said when asked about the offense in the sixth inning. “We were able to execute a bunt and hit to third when we had speed on the basepaths. Sometimes, that’s what we have to do. It felt like every hard-hit ball was right at somebody, so sometimes you have to use the short game to find ways to win.”
Up Next
Game two of the LSU-Ole Miss series is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN2.
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