BATON ROUGE, La. – Paytn Monticelli threw her first complete game shutout as an LSU Tiger, and the second of her career, leading No. 20/19 LSU to a 3-0 victory against Auburn in the series opener on Thursday at Tiger Park.
LSU improves to 35-16 this season and 11-11 in the SEC, while Auburn falls to .500 at 25-25 with a 4-18 mark in conference play.
Monticelli improves to 8-3 on the season with her fifth consecutive win. The senior registered a season-high nine strikeouts and allowed four hits and two walks. Monticelli had three innings where she faced the minimum, including the first inning that was aided by the club’s 25th double play of the season, and the seventh, where she struck out the final two batters.
“She [Monticelli] did a great job,” said Head Coach Beth Torina. “It was a good matchup for her, and it was one of her best performances as a Tiger. She threw a lot of rise balls and was good there. She was able to change speeds, she located well, and she got some great defense.”
Jalia Lassiter extended her hitting streak to 10 after going 2-for-4 at the dish and had one RBI. Lassiter also made the defensive play of the game by robbing a potential two-run homer in the sixth inning.
Kylee Edwards logged her 15th multi-hit game of the season with a 2-for-3 outing. Sierra Daniel and Alix Franklin also had a hit in the win. Franklin added an RBI.
Auburn’s Ella Harrison was charged with the loss, moving to 11-13, after allowing five hits, three runs, two walks, and three strikeouts in 3.0 innings.
LSU scored all three of its runs in the second inning. After Char Lorenz was hit by a pitch and Ally Hutchins drew a walk, Avery Hodge loaded the bases with a sacrifice hit, reaching on a throwing error, and Lorenz capitalized on the error by scoring the game’s first run. Lassiter followed with a run-scoring single to the shortstop, and later in the frame, Hodge scored an unearned run on Franklin’s RBI fielder’s choice.
**LSU PRESS RELEASE**
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