LSU Athletics
BATON ROUGE, La. – Tatum Clopton matched a season-high six strikeouts in her first complete game of the season to lead No. 20/17 LSU in its first SEC win of the season, a 7-1 victory over No. 16 Texas A&M on Monday night at Tiger Park.
LSU (19-9, 1-5 SEC) never trailed in the game and pulled away from Texas A&M (19-9, 2-1 SEC) in the sixth inning with another four-run frame, its third in league play.
“We’re trending up,” said Head Coach Beth Torina. “I told the team tonight that we needed to win one more pitch. With one more pitch, things could go our way. It felt that way at Tennessee, too. Just win one more pitch on the defensive or offensive side. I think we’re continuing to grow and get better. Maybe, on the outside, you can’t see it, but it’s about what the coaches see and what the players see. I think we’re learning and growing all the time. We are moving forward.”
Clopton improves to 6-1 on the season after throwing her fourth in her career. In addition to the six strikeouts, Clopton allowed one earned run, five hits, and five walks.
The Bayou Bengals tallied eight hits, led by Ci’ella Pickett’s 2-for-3 outing with an RBI, and Alix Franklin’s second home run of the season. Maci Bergeron led the team with two RBI on one hit, marking her 20th career multi-RBI game.
TAMU’s Sydney Lessentine moves to 8-2 with the loss despite recording six strikeouts in 4.0 innings. Lessentine gave up three runs, four hits and a walk.
Franklin hit a two-out home run in the second inning to give LSU its first lead of the series. After a scoreless third, Clopton sent the Aggies out in order at the top of the fourth, and LSU scored two runs in the home half with two outs. With Franklin on second base after reaching on a fielder’s choice and advancing on Kylee Edwards’ single, Pickett drove a pitch to the second baseman to score Franklin, and K. Edwards went to third on the A&M error. K. Edwards stole home plate to increase the Tigers’ lead to 3-0.
Texas A&M got on the scoreboard in the fifth with a sacrifice fly, but LSU responded with two runs in the sixth. The Tigers loaded the bases with a walk by K. Edwards and back-to-back singles from Pickett and Sierra Daniel. Avery Hodge and Jalia Lassiter walked in runs, and Bergeron capped the inning with a two-run double to left field to stretch LSU’s lead to 7-1.
The Aggies plated another run with a two-out single by Micaela Wark to bring the score to 7-2, but Clopton struck out the next batter to end the game.
Up Next
LSU continues SEC play with a three-game series at South Carolina on March 14-16, at Carolina Softball Stadium in Columbia, S.C.
**LSU PRESS RELEASE**
