No. 5 Texas took its third loss in its last four games as LSU even up the series at one a piece, setting up a rubber match on Saturday to decide the series. LSU’s big night on the bats pushed them to a 6-1 victory over the Longhorns.
After a walk-off grand slam in the series’ opening game against the Tigers, the Longhorns’ bats were ice cold through game two. Texas managed just four hits on the day and a single run.
For the Tigers, on the flipside, the batters were hot early and often. Putting together eight hits and six runs in the game, LSU would put itself out in front with a two-run first inning after back-to-back base hits led to runners coming home.
From then on, the Tigers would not let up, pouring onto their lead all the way till the end. A pitching change from Texas brought in junior pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez for starter senior Mac Morgan in the third inning. Gutierrez comes in relief in most of Morgan’s starts and is usually a steady hand, but today it was a different story.
Following their two-inning first inning, redshirt freshman Tori Edwards would hammer a two-run home run towards left field to extend the LSU score to four. In the final inning, LSU added two more runs to conclude their big scoring night.
“Citlaly has done such a great job coming, and unfortunately, that’s the first time she’s given up that kind of damage,” head coach Mike White said. “But for the most part, she’s been a pretty reliable reliever, and you’d rather make a move a bit early than late.”
Texas’s clearest opportunity to turn the game on its head was in the bottom of the fourth, as LSU junior pitcher Tatum Clopton surrendered back-to-back walks to start the inning with no outs. However, a flyout from sophomore infielder Katie Stewart, senior utility Katie Cimusz batting into a fielder’s choice and a ground out from sophomore infielder Victoria Hunter in succession would cut off any chance at the Longhorns adding any runs.
Texas’s last gasp came with two outs and found itself in a familiar situation with bases loaded. However, unlike yesterday’s grand slam, Texas was not able to duplicate its success with the loaded bases.
Senior utility Vanessa Quiroga would pinch hit for Hunter, and in her second pitch of the at-bat would ground out to second and end the inning and end any chance of a Longhorn comeback.
The Longhorns once more found themselves with two base runners with no outs in a last-ditch attempt to muster up a rally in the final inning. But much like the rest of the game, Texas batters struck out, flew out and hit once more into a fielder’s choice to end the game.
“Situations might change, but we have to do our job,” graduate infielder Joley Mitchell said. “Each inning, I was telling everybody to just flush it and move on.”
The Texas Longhorns look towards Saturday to decide the series against the LSU Tigers, the Longhorns take the field for the series-deciding game at 11 a.m. C.T.
