No. 20 LSU Softball Defeats No. 17 Mississippi State 5-3 To Avoid Sweep

April 26, 2026 Andre Champagne Featured, More LSU Sports, Softball 0
Kylee Edwards, LSU
The No. 20 LSU softball team earned a 5-3 victory over No. 17 Mississippi State on Sunday afternoon (Photo by LSU Athletics).

By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter

The No. 20 LSU softball team picked up a much-needed 5-3 win over No. 17 Mississippi State on Sunday to avoid a sweep. With the victory, the Tigers keep their chances of hosting an NCAA Regional alive.

LSU improved to 33-16 and 10-11 in SEC play, while Mississippi State dropped to 36-15 and 8-13 in conference play.

Senior pitcher Paytn Monticelli (7-3) earned the win in the circle after another impressive performance. She relieved fifth-year senior Tatum Clopton in the first inning and went a full seven innings, allowing just one run on four hits on 88 total pitches. She struck out two and walked only one.

The Bulldogs were able to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, but Monticelli induced a groundout to end the inning.

Junior shortstop Kylee Edwards led off the top of the sixth with a single up the middle, her second hit of the day, and one at-bat later, sophomore first baseman Tori Edwards blasted a home run to deep right-center field to make it 5-3. It was her 12th home run of the season.

The Tigers ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth. A leadoff single followed by a double put runners on second and third with no outs. A walk in the next at-bat loaded the bases, putting LSU in a tough spot. Mississippi State tied the game on an RBI groundout to first base, making it 3-3.

However, the Tigers caught a break as Kylee Edwards made a phenomenal diving catch to double up the Bulldogs and prevent any further damage heading into the sixth.

Senior outfielder Jalia Lassiter and junior infielder Sierra Daniel hit back-to-back singles in the top of the third to put runners on first and second with one out. Later in the inning, sophomore Alix Franklin singled to score Lassiter, but Daniel was thrown out at the plate to end the inning as the Tigers reclaimed a 3-2 lead.

Both the Tigers and Bulldogs went three up, three down in the second inning.

It took just five pitches for Mississippi State to tie the game. The Bulldogs led off the bottom of the first with a double down the right-field line, and in the next at-bat, a two-run homer to center field tied the game. Clopton did not record an out before being pulled for Monticelli.

Daniel opened the game with a one-out walk before Kylee Edwards launched a two-run homer to left-center field against her former team, giving the Tigers an early 2-0 lead. It was Edwards’ 10th home run of the season.

Up Next

LSU will host in-state foe McNeese State at Tiger Park on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

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