Tiger Rag News Services
Sophomore outfielder Alix Franklin dazzled in No. 19/17 LSU’s 10-2 run-rule victory over South Alabama. Franklin drove in a career-high four RBI on two hits Tuesday night at Tiger Park.
With the win, LSU improves to 8-4 on the season. This victory snaps a three-game losing streak for the Tigers and ends South Alabama’s two-game winning streak. South Alabama falls to 7-4 on the season.
“I thought we played much more like ourselves tonight,” said Head Coach Beth Torina. “It was nice to be back at Tiger Park in front of our fans and do a lot of good things tonight. I think that was much more like the brand of LSU Softball we expect from this group.”
Franklin went 2-for-3, with her fourth triple of the season, entering Tuesday as the nation’s triples leader. Senior outfielder Jalia Lassiter extended her hitting streak to eight and matched her career-best with three runs.
Fifth-year senior pitcher Tatum Clopton (3-1) earned the win, allowing one run on three hits and two walks in four innings. Though she had no strikeouts, Clopton induced five groundouts, including two double plays, bringing the club’s season total to 10 double plays.
Pitcher Paytn Monticelli closed the game in the fifth, striking out two, yielding one run on two hits, and walking one batter.
South Alabama pitcher Ryley Harrison (3-2) took the loss. She struck out two, surrendered seven runs on six hits, and walked four in 2.1 innings.
Franklin’s two-out single drove in the first run. After outfielder Char Lorenz reached on a fielding error to load the bases, Harrison issued her third walk of the inning, crediting designated player Ally Hutchins with an RBI. LSU led 2-0 after the opening frame.
Second baseman Sydney Stewart drove a pitch through the left side that scored a run for South Alabama in the top of the second. However, an RBI single by T. Edwards in the home half gave LSU its one-run advantage back, taking a 3-1 lead into the third inning.
Clopton and company recorded its second 1-2-3 inning of the game, and LSU erupted for seven runs on four hits, and was aided by two Jaguar errors to build a 10-1 lead through three innings. The Tigers loaded the bases with singles from Lorenz and Hutchins, and a hit by pitch for third baseman Avery Hodge. Lassiter then recorded the third single of the inning, a shallow hit to left field, and then an error by the outfielder helped clear the bases as Lassiter zoomed around the diamond and touched home plate to be credited with two RBI on the hit. A few batters with the bases still loaded again, Franklin laced a base-clearing triple to right field for her fourth triple of the season, and LSU ended the inning with a nine-run lead.
After the LSU defense tallied its second double play of the game to end the fourth inning, Monticelli entered the circle in the fifth. She shut the door for the 10-2 victory.
Up Next
LSU will host Howard, Michigan State, and UL Lafayette in the 2026 Purple & Gold Challenge on Feb. 20-22 at Tiger Park.
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