LSU swept day one of the LSU Invitational with a five-inning 19-0 shutout in game one against Memphis, followed by a 5-0 win over Pittsburgh Friday at Tiger Park.
The LSU pitching staff allowed four hits against 47 batters faced and held the opposing batters to a .103 batting average. Sophomore Emma Strood earned her first career decision with a complete-game shutout against Memphis, and graduate transfer Kelley Lynch also pitched a complete-game shutout in her first start for LSU. The Tigers have outscored their opponents 32-0 through the first three games.
At the dish, LSU totaled 18 hits, 22 RBIs, and scored 24 runs on the tournament’s opening day, led by Taylor Pleasants, who paced the team with three hits and seven RBIs with two home runs, including her second career grand slam.
“It was important for the team to gain some confidence and momentum, and this is an experienced offense,” said head coach Beth Torina. “I didn’t expect them to put up 19 runs, but this was an excellent start.”
Other notable offensive contributors include Ciara Briggs, who logged three hits, three RBIs, and scored four runs, and Hannah Carson and Danieca Coffey, who both had three runs batted in.
Game One
Strood (1-0) turned in her first career complete-game shutout against Memphis after tallying three strikeouts and relinquishing just two hits and three walks in the 19-0 five-inning win.
The LSU offense recorded 19 RBIs on 13 hits and featured five Tigers with multi-RBI performances. Pleasants led the way with five RBIs and had two hits. Ali Newland also had two hits and an RBI, while Briggs, Carson, and Coffey each had three ribbies in the game. Releen Gutierrez, who hit her second home run in as many games, also finished the game with two RBIs.
The LSU Tigers struck first with an RBI single from Newland at the bottom of the first inning that brought home Coffey, who drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and advanced to third.
LSU kept up the scoring in the second inning with four runs on four hits, highlighted by a three-run home run by Coffey, the fourth home run of her career. McKenzie Redoutey started things with a leadoff double in that inning. After the next two batters were retired, Petty walked, and Coffey stepped to the plate and hit a shot to right field to clear the bags. After a pitching change, Briggs reached base on balls, and Pleasants drove her in with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 5-0.
The Fighting Tigers poured it on in the third and fourth innings, combining for 14 runs with eight runs in the third and six in the fourth. In that stretch, Guiterrez hit her second home run season, Pleasants drilled her second career grand slam, and both Briggs and Carson accounted for three RBIs.
Game Two
Lynch mirrored Strood’s two-hit shutout from game one, throwing six strikeouts and giving up two hits and three walks in 7.0 innings of work.
Pleasants belted her second home run of the day in the bottom of the first, a two-run shot that brought her RBI total to 10 on the season.
LSU crossed an unearned run in the third, and Petty increased the margin to 4-0 with an RBI single up the middle in the fourth. Briggs added the final run in the bottom of the fifth after she singled, stole to second, ran to third due to a wild pitch, and advanced home due to a throwing error.
Up Next
LSU wraps up the LSU Invitational with another pair of games against Pittsburgh and Memphis at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.
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