LSU achieved their 16th game this season with 10 or more hits. Infielder Raeleen Gutierrez led the LSU offense with a 3-for-4 two RBI showing. The senior's multi-RBI game notched the 20th of her career.
BATON ROUGE, La. – First baseman Raeleen Gutierrez notched her 12th multi-hit game of the season and 20th multi-RBI game of her career as No. 10/13 LSU surpassed Liberty, 9-4, Saturday night at Tiger Park.
With the series clincher, LSU moves to 38-13, and Liberty drops to 31-22 this season.
Utility pitcher Kelley Lynch (7-2) picked up the win. She struck out two batters and allowed four runs, hits, and walks in 5.2 innings. Relief pitcher Raelin Chaffin worked the final 1.1 innings to record her second career save. Chaffin entered the game with bases loaded and two outs in the sixth and ended the inning with her lone strikeout of the night. She then retired the final three batters in the seventh.
Pitcher Kaylan Yoder (10-9) was charged with the loss, allowing five runs on five hits with seven walks and two strikeouts thrown in 2.1 innings.
LSU recorded its 16th game this season with 10 or more hits. Six LSU starters registered hits, including three with multiple base knocks.
Gutierrez led the way, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Second baseman Karli Petty went 2-for-4 and belted her fourth home run of the season. Third baseman Madyson Manning went 2-for-2 in her first multi-hit game of her career. Shortstop Taylor Pleasants had a team-high three RBIs, highlighted by her eighth homer this season.
LSU scored in each inning of the game and has now scored in eight consecutive innings, including the final two from game one of the series.
“We did a great job,” said Head Coach Beth Torina. “The concept this time of year is team offense and finding ways to score. It’s not about who gets hits. It’s about finding ways to score runs. We did a great job of scoring today.”
A pair of walks and Gutierrez’s single in the first inning loaded the bases for the Tigers, and Pleasants drew a walk to drive in the game’s first run.
The Flames responded in the top of the second after first baseman Megan Fortner’s home run evened the score at 1-1, but the Tigers answered quickly with a pair of runs in the second and third innings to build a 5-1 advantage. In the second inning, Gutierrez hit a two-out, two-RBI single, and in the third was highlighted by outfielder Ciara Briggs’ run-scoring single.
Liberty cut the deficit to 5-2 behind another solo shot, this time from designated player Brynn McManus, to open the fourth. However, LSU ballooned its lead to 7-2 behind consecutive dingers from Pleasants and Petty. LSU added to its lead in the fifth with an RBI groundout for Pleasants, bringing the score to 8-2.
Liberty plated two runs in the sixth, but the Tigers struck again in the home half with a run-scoring double by catcher Hannah Carson, making the score 9-4.
Up Next
The regular season finale will begin at 5 p.m. CT on Sunday at Tiger Park.