By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
Sophomore pitcher Jayden Heavener pitched a complete-game shutout to help lift the No. 16 LSU softball team over Nevada, 8-0, on Saturday night at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge.
Heavener (2-0, 1.24 ERA) earned the win in the circle after shutting down Nevada (2-2). She surrendered no runs, allowed seven hits and struck out seven batters over six innings of work.
“I thought she threw a really nice game tonight,” head coach Beth Torina said after the win on Saturday. “I thought she was able to pitch into the plan. She did a lot of things really well. (She) was able to keep us in it and she has the ability to strike out people out at any moment which controls offenses.”
Freshman infielder Rylie Johnson extended the Tigers’ lead to four after drawing a bases-loaded walk to make it 4-0. Senior center fielder Jalia Lassiter added another insurance run after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, giving LSU a 5-0 lead. Two more Tigers scored on a throwing error to make it 7-0. Sophomore first baseman Tori Edwards then walked it off with a bases-loaded walk.
Heavener issued her third walk of the night to lead off the sixth inning. In the next at-bat, Nevada shortstop Haylee Engelbrecht doubled to right-center field, putting runners on second and third with no outs. Heavener induced a weak fly ball to center field for the first out, then continued to battle, recording her seventh strikeout of the night for the second out. She made Tiger fans hold their breath when Nevada lined a ball to left field, but redshirt sophomore Char Lorenz hauled it in to end the threat and send the Tigers back to the plate.
Lucky number 7⃣
— LSU Softball (@LSUsoftball) February 8, 2026
📺 SECN+ https://t.co/tJeoCkHqiK pic.twitter.com/FXsOCWZ14I
Sophomore right fielder Alix Franklin gave the Tigers their first hit of the night in the bottom of the fifth inning, drilling a 2-2 pitch to right field. Senior infielder Avery Hodge’s sacrifice bunt moved Franklin to second, and Lassiter reached first after being hit by a pitch.
LSU then broke the tie. Junior second baseman Sierra Daniel singled to center field to score Franklin from second, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Senior catcher Maci Bergeron extended the lead to 3-0 with a double to right-center field that scored Lassiter and Daniel.
Daniel, who was retired in hir first two at-bats, made sure to capitalize when she was given the chance.
“We were missing under a lot and so I was like, ‘I’m going to hit something on the ground,'” Daniel said.
“I was just making adjustments from at-bat to at-bat and I was just keeping it simple.”
IN. THE. CLUTCH. 🔥
— LSU Softball (@LSUsoftball) February 8, 2026
MACI WITH THE TWO-RUN DOUBLE TO MAKE IT 3-0! pic.twitter.com/xHYejvvVYR
In the top of the fifth inning, Heavener worked out of trouble once again, striking out her sixth batter of the night to strand Nevada runners at first and second. LSU remained hitless through four innings.
Heavener ran into some trouble in the top of the third inning, allowing two singles to open the frame before catching a break in the next at-bat. A Nevada hitter lined out to right field, and another runner was doubled off after a baserunning mistake.
She then surrendered another single to left-center field, putting runners on the corners with two outs. But Heavener prevailed, recording her fourth strikeout of the night to send LSU back into the dugout.
Through the first two innings, LSU and Nevada were locked in a pitchers’ duel, with both teams failing to score despite putting runners on base.
STATS
P Jayden Heavener: 6.0 IP, 0 R, 7 H, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 HBP
C Maci Bergeron: 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI
2B Sierra Daniel: 1-4, 1B, 1 RBI
RF Alix Franklin: 1-1, 2 BB
Up Next
LSU (4-0) will play two tomorrow to round out the Tiger Classic. The Tigers face Illinois (0-4) at 12:30 p.m. and Lamar (2-1) at 3 p.m.
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