LSU Spring Sports Recap – March 20

Tiger Rag News Services

SOFTBALL

A 12-inning battle resulted in a 6-5 walk-off loss for No. 22/19 LSU against No. 21/24 South Carolina to open the three-game series on Friday night at Carolina Softball Stadium.

Both clubs were held scoreless for six consecutive innings after the fifth concluded locked in a 5-5 tie. In the extra-inning periods, each team had one hit entering the 12th, before South Carolina (21-10, 1-3 SEC) had two, including the game-winning RBI single by Lexi Winters that scored Arianna Rodi, who also singled earlier in the 12th.

LSU (19-10, 1-6 SEC) logged 11 hits in the setback, marking the most in an SEC game this season. It is the fifth time LSU has reached double-digit hits in a game this year. Three Tigers had multiple hits in the game. Kylee Edwards had a 3-for-6 performance at the plate, highlighted by her second home run and second triple of the season, and drove in a career-best four RBI.

KYLEE EDWARDS LONG BALL 🔥 @kyleeedwards67 #NCAASoftball x 🎥 SECN+ / @LSUsoftball pic.twitter.com/2uFebVKnTo

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) March 20, 2026

Jalia Lassiter had two two-out doubles and scored one run in the game, and Sierra Daniel was 2-for-6 in the batter’s box.

Jayden Heavener (6-6) suffered the loss after firing 111 pitches in 7.1 innings in relief. Heavener fanned six batters and gave up one run on six hits. Heavener did not walk a batter in her appearance. Tatum Clopton started the game in the circle of LSU but did not receive a decision after pitching 2.0 innings, where she recorded one strikeout and allowed three runs on six hits. Paytn Monticelli pitched 2.1 innings in relief, where she had two strikeouts and surrendered two runs, three hits, and a walk.

Nealy Lamb improved to 4-4 in the circle after pitching the final 3.0 innings of shutout softball. Lamb finished with four strikeouts, gave up one hit, and walked one batter.  Jori Heard pitched 7.0 innings in relief and concluded with six strikeouts and gave up seven hits, two runs, and two walks.

South Carolina scored first behind a pair of solo home runs in the second inning by Tate Davis and Jamie Mackay. LSU responded in the top of the third by loading the bases with no outs, forcing an early Gamecock pitching change. After a leadoff double by Lassiter and a walk by Tori Edwards, Char Lorenz singled through the left side, putting a runner on each bag. A ground out by Maci Bergeron scored Lassiter, and K. Edwards welcomed the new hurler with a two-out, two-run single through the right side, giving LSU a 3-2 lead. After the Gamecocks opened the bottom of the third with two singles, Monticelli entered the circle and recorded all three outs in the frame, including a strikeout, but not before South Carolina tied the contest, 3-3, on an RBI groundout.

After a clean fourth inning for both teams, Bergeron jump-started the fifth with a double, and K. Edwards gave the Tigers the lead again, this time with a two RBI shot to centerfield. South Carolina answered with a two-run, four-hit frame, however, highlighted by an RBI single by Davis and an RBI double by Winters as part of a stretch with four consecutive hits. The fifth inning concluded with the clubs tied, 5-5.

After a scoreless sixth inning, LSU threatened in the seventh with a two-out triple by K. Edwards, but South Carolina escaped without giving up a run. Heavener and the defense retired the Gamecocks in order in the bottom of the seventh, however, sending the game to extras.

Up Next
The second game of the series will be at 2 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.

MEN’S TENNIS

No. 7 LSU defended its home courts on Friday night against Arkansas, posting a commanding 6-1 result. On court four, Matias Ponce de Leon clinched the match for the Tigers, defeating Dmitry Kopilevich 6-2, 6-4.

With today’s win, LSU improves to 20-3 and 6-2 in SEC play. Notably, this is the first time since 2005 that LSU men’s tennis has earned 20 wins in a season. Furthermore, through 23 games, the Tigers’ 20-3 start is the best since 1998, when they began 22-1.

Arkansas falls to 14-8, going 2-6 in conference play.

“It was a very solid performance from the team today,” said head coach Danny Bryan. “We knew Arkansas had really good doubles, and I think we did a great job getting early leads on courts two and three. In singles, we thought it was going to be important to get off to good starts, and we did just that, getting six first sets. Erik [Arutiunian] and Andrej [Loncarevic] were great at the one and two singles, beating very good opponents in straight sets. The team is really looking forward to a top-10 matchup against a very tough Mississippi State team.”

Up Next

LSU will take on No. 6 Mississippi State (15-2, 6-1 SEC) on Sunday at noon at the LSU Tennis Complex.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

The No. 12 LSU Beach Volleyball team went 0-2 on Friday against No.4 Texas and No. 16 GCU.

LSU 0, Texas 5

1. Brecht Piersma/ Katie Hashman (TEX) def. Kenzey McGatlin/ Julia Specher (LSU) 18-21, 21-18, 15-9
2. Emma Grace Robertson/ Lily Davis (TEX) def. Skylar Martin/ Tatum Finlason (LSU) 21-17, 21-16
3. Chloe Charles/ Devin Kahahawai (TEX) def. Aubrey O’Gorman/ Camryn Chatellier (LSU) 21-17, 21-14, 11-15
4. Ella Keevan/ Macey Butler (TEX) def. Emily Hellmuth/ Bella Lagemann (LSU) 21-11, 21-19
5. Vivian Johnson/ Karin Zolnercikova (TEX) def. Zayna Meyer/ Ryan Lambert (LSU) 16-21, 21-13, 15-6

LSU 2, GCU 3

1. Kenzey McGatlin/ Julia Sprecher (LSU) def. Rebecca Drake/ Karynn Garrow (GCU)18-21, 23-21, 15-13
2. Sarah Edler/ Katie Keefe (CGU) def. Tatum Finlason/ Skylar Martin (LSU) 21-23, 22-20, 15-13
3. Rhea Kohl/ Mae Manthe (GCU) def. Camryn Chatellier/ Aubrey O’Gorman (LSU) 21-17, 21-16
4. Youna Coens/ Isabelle Tucker (GCU) def. Emily Hellmuth/ Bella Lagemann (LSU) 15-21, 21-18, 15-10
5. Ryan Lambert/ Zayna Meyer (LSU) def. Jordyn Decker/ Jessica Drake (GCU) 21-17, 21-18

Up Next

The Sandy Tigs will compete in two matches to finish out the weekend on Saturday, starting at 11:45 AM CT against Boise State, followed by a 4:45 PM CT match against No. 10 Arizona State.

SWIMMING AND DIVING

The LSU swimming program wrapped up day three of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia, with a pair of top-20 finishes.

SEC bronze medalist Zoe Carlos-Broc posted a time of 51.41 in the 100-back to finish 18th in the event. Michaela de Villiers also finished 18th in her event, the 50-free, with a time of 21.76. 

Carlos-Broc’s performance in the 100-back got things started for the Tigers in the Friday morning prelims session. The 18th-place finish is the best individual placement in her NCAA Championships career so far.

In the 200-breast, Grace Palmer made her NCAA Championships debut, clocking a time of 2:09.21 to finish 22nd. Bukvic placed 46th, touching the wall with a time of 2:12.17.

Megan Barnes recorded a time of 4:44.77 in the 500-free, finishing tied for 42nd.

The 50-free saw a pair of Tigers record times in the top 35. De Villiers touched the wall 18th for the best individual placement in her four-year NCAA Championships career. Avery Littlefield followed with a time of 22.24 to finish in 35th.

In the Tigers’ final performance of the day, the 400-medley relay, the squad of Carlos-Broc, Bukvic, Sofia Sartori, and de Villiers put together a time of 3:32.32, finishing the event in 21st place.

After three days of competition, the Tigers have totaled 26 points and sit in 21st place overall. Virginia remains in the top spot with 437.5 points.

The Saturday session will feature prelims at 9 a.m. CT for the 200-IM, 100-free, 200-fly, 200-back, 400-free relay, and platform diving. The finals session for these events will begin at 5 p.m. CT. The Tigers will have competitors in each of these events except the platform diving.