An impressive rally from an early six-run deficit wasn’t enough for the Tigers to keep their season alive on Sunday night. LSU was eliminated from the Baton Rouge Regional with a 9-8 loss to Louisiana, which advances to its first super regional since 2016.
Coach Beth Torina’s team has now missed the super regional round in back-to-back seasons after previously reaching six in a row.
The game started out about as bad as it possibly could have for LSU. After a leadoff single, what should have been a fielder’s choice turned into an error as the Ragin’ Cajuns had runners at the corners.
A wild pitch from Sydney Berzon allowed a run to score, still with no outs on the board. Berzon then loaded up the bases after issuing back-to-back walks. She got an out on a sacrifice groundout, but a run scored to make the game 2-0.
Another walk reloaded the bases, and then things went from bad to worse as Berzon gave up a grand slam to make it 6-0, still in the first inning. That was all that UL was able to get, but LSU found itself in quite a hole before even coming to the plate.
Georgia Clark managed to get one of those runs back, leading off the bottom of the second with a solo home run. LSU was then able to get a rally going in the third.
Savannah Stewart and Ciara Briggs reached on errors, and a single from Taylor Pleasants brought a run home. Clark followed up with a single to score two more after a Louisiana pitching change.
UL walked Ali Newland, and a hard-hit double into the gap from McKenzie Redoutey scored two more runs and tied the game at six. That forced a pitching change, but even that couldn’t preserve the lead.
Karli Petty hit an RBI single, and the Tigers took a 7-6 advantage. A flyout ended the frame, but the damage was done. At least, for a time.
The Tigers kept the run going in the fourth after a two-out double from Briggs, and Pleasants followed with an RBI single. Louisiana wasn’t going away, though.
Karly Heath hit a solo shot in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to one run, and a single put the tying run aboard. Berzon worked her way out of trouble, though, as the freshman got a groundout to end the threat.
The 8-7 score carried into the top of the seventh with Berzon looking to close things out. She put herself in danger again early on, allowing back-to-back singles. A sacrifice groundout got her a third of the way there, but it also put the go-ahead run in scoring position.
Disaster struck after that. An intentional walk from Berzon veered into the strike zone. Newland wasn’t ready for it behind the plate, and the Ragin’ Cajuns tied the game on a passed ball.
The tie wouldn’t last long. A deep single in the next at-bat scored the go-ahead run. Suddenly, LSU came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh three outs from elimination.
A two-out single from Raeleen Gutierrez gave the team life and brought the winning run to the plate, but a flyout in foul territory from Stewart ended the game and LSU’s season.
Final from Baton Rouge
LSU – 8
ULL – 9#InOurElement— LSU Softball (@LSUsoftball) May 22, 2023
The Tigers finish the year at 42-17.
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