BATON ROUGE, La. - No. 19 LSU scored a pair
of runs in the second, third and fourth innings to pull away from ULM and take
a 6-1 victory in non-conference softball action at Tiger Park Wednesday night. The loss is the first of the season for
the Warhawks after they won the ULM Mardi Gras Classic last weekend with a
perfect 3-0 record.
LSU (3-3) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the
second inning on the strength of a two-run home run by Ashley Langoni, her second
of the season. Tiffany Mills regained her composure in the circle to retire the
next three LSU batters in order to limit the damage.
The Tigers doubled their tally on a two-run
single by Rachel Mitchell in the third inning, after Jessica Mouse and Kirsten
Shortridge led off the bottom frame with back-to-back singles.
Shortridge led LSU at the plate going 3-for-4
with a pair of runs scored. Langoni was the only other player in the game to
pick up multiple hits as she finished 2-for-3 on the night.
ULM (3-1) broke through against Rachele Fico
in the fourth inning, as Elise West drove home Janel Salanoa with a two-out
infield single in the top of the fourth inning. Salanoa got into scoring
position after reaching on a fielder's choice, stealing second base, and moving
to third on an LSU throwing error.
Shortridge got the run back for LSU in the
bottom of the frame with a single back up the middle to score Courtney Hollier.
Ashley Applegate gave the Tigers their third straight two-run inning with a
single down the line in left to score Shortridge.
Fico (2-2) picked up the win for LSU allowing
just a pair of hits and one run over five innings of work. She struck out seven
Warhawk batters and issued just one walk, before handing the ball off to
Brittany Mack to finish the game.
Mills (0-1) suffered the loss for the
Warhawks after making her first start of the season in the circle. The redshirt
freshman right-hander allowed six runs on eight hits while striking out five
and walking three.
The Warhawks return to action this weekend at
the highly competitive Aggie Classic hosted by Texas A&M in College
Station, Texas. ULM opens play with Oregon State and Mississippi State on Friday beginning at 10 a.m.
