LSU Athletics
BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 16/13 LSU recorded its second consecutive run-rule victory by defeating Illinois, 9-1 in five innings on Sunday afternoon at Tiger Park.
LSU (5-0) had five hits and stole nine bases, tying the program’s second most and most since tallying 10 against Nicholls on Feb. 16, 2008. Kylee Edwards, Tori Edwards, and Alix Franklin each stole two bases.
Illinois will leave Baton Rouge 0-5, but logged seven hits in the game.
Starting pitcher Cece Cellura (1-0) gained her first win as an LSU Tiger. Cellura had one strikeout and allowed five hits in 4.0 innings.
T. Edwards went 2-for-2 with her first home run of the season, four RBIs, two runs scored, and a walk.
Illinois pitcher Christina Crawford (0-1) was handed her first loss of the season after recording three strikeouts, giving up five runs on three hits, and walking four batters.
LSU loaded the bases in the first inning with a leadoff hit by outfielder Jalia Lassiter and walks from infielder Sierra Daniel and catcher Maci Bergeron. A wild pitch scored Lassiter, and T. Edwards singled to right to drive in another run, giving LSU a 2-0 lead after the first.
The Tigers built a 7-0 lead with big innings in the second and third. T. Edwards launched a three-run homer in the second, while LSU added two more in the third, highlighted by a double steal that included K. Edwards stealing home after reaching on an error.
After LSU turned its third double play of the season to end the top of the fourth, Bergeron led off the inning with a single and was pinch-run for by utility player Destiny Harris. After T. Edwards drew a walk, Harris and T. Edwards found themselves in scoring position due to a wild pitch. Harris scored on infielder Ally Hutchins’ sacrifice fly, and T. Edwards scored on utility player Maddox McKee’s RBI groundout for the 9-0 lead.
**LSU PRESS RELEASE**
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