BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 18 LSU (7-0) swept opening day of the Tiger Basic in dramatic vogue. Freshman pitcher Alea Johnson (2-0) tossed her first profession shutout in an 8-0, five-inning victory over Ohio (2-3), and shortstop Taylor Pleasants walked off Utah (5-2) within the seventh inning with a three-run dwelling run Friday at Tiger Park.

LSU has thrown a shutout in three of its seven video games this season to associate with 4 run-rules. Pleasants registered The Combating Tigers first walk-off dwelling run victory since Shelbi Sunseri did it towards Drake in February 2022.

“That is why they name us Combating Tigers,” mentioned Head Coach Beth Torina. “If we have outs left, we have breath. We have got an opportunity and I believe we confirmed that.”

Pleasants continues to be a pressure on the dish, going 4-for-8 with seven RBIs on the day. Infielders Ciara Briggs, Danieca Coffey and Karli Petty all recorded three hits on the day. Briggs and Coffey additionally led the workforce in runs scored with three apiece.

Sport One

Johnson pitched the primary shutout of her profession towards the Bobcats, the place she threw an entire recreation, logging three strike outs whereas solely permitting three hits in 5 innings.

Pleasants went 2-for-4 from the plate and recorded a season-high 4 RBIs. Outfielder Ali Newland had her second multi-RBI recreation this season with two RBIs within the recreation. Outfielder McKenzie Redoutey tallied 5 whole bases on two extra-base hits, together with a triple and a double.

This recreation marked the third time this season the Tigers totaled 11 or extra hits in a recreation.

LSU obtained on the board within the second inning. Petty led off the inning with a double, establishing Newland’s RBI single. After Redoutey hit the Tigers second double of the body, outfielder Savannah Stewart introduced Newland dwelling on a sac fly to present the Tigers a 2-0 lead heading into the third. LSU instantly adopted its two-run effort with one other run within the third inning due to a sac fly from Newland that plated infielder Georgia Clark.

The Tigers continued their offensive dominance within the fourth inning. Pleasants lined a two-RBI single straight up the center, bringing in Coffey and Briggs to extend the Tigers margin, 5-0.

Pleasants hit her second two-RBI single of the sport to start the fifth inning, and Clark crossed an insurance coverage run to finish the run-rule for the Tigers.

Sport Two

Ali Kilponen (2-0) began the sport towards Utah the place she put in 3.2 innings and tallied one strike out earlier than freshman Sydney Berzon (2-0) got here in reduction with two outs within the high of the fourth inning. Berzon completed the sport throwing 3.1 innings and allowed one run within the come-from-behind victory.

Pleasants stole the present as soon as once more, going 2-for-4 from the plate with three RBI’s all approaching the walk-off homer. Coffey and outfielder Raeleen Gutierrez tied Pleasants for the workforce lead in hits with two, whereas each additionally tacked on an RBI.

Utah strung collectively three runs by the primary three innings, however the Tigers have been in a position to reply within the backside of the third with two runs of their very own. Gutierrez drove in Redoutey with the primary triple of her profession. Coffey got here as much as bat subsequent and hit a RBI single to chop into Utah’s lead, 3-2.

The Utes have been in a position to rating one run within the high of the fifth, however as soon as once more the Tigers answered. After Coffey singled, Briggs battled on the plate by combating off 11 pitches earlier than ripping an RBI double into proper discipline to make the rating 4-3, Utah to finish the fifth inning.

After holding Utah scoreless for the ultimate two innings, Gutierrez hit a leadoff single by the suitable facet and was pinch ran for by freshman Maia Townsend. With one out, Briggs reached on a fielding error to place runners on the corners. Pleasants stepped into the batter’s field subsequent, and with a 1-0 depend, she despatched a moonshot to deep heart discipline, giving the Tigers their first walk-off of the season, 6-4.

It’s the Tigers first walk-off dwelling run victory since Shelby Sunseri did it towards Drake in February 2022.

On Deck

LSU will face off towards Central Arkansas at 4 p.m. and Utah at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18 at Tiger Park.