No. 3 LSU Beats No. 21 Kentucky 6-2 in SEC Series Opener
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 3 LSU Tigers continued its undefeated start to the season Friday night, beating No. 21 Kentucky 6-2 at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington.
Friday’s SEC opener started two hours past schedule, as rains in the Lexington area played havoc with the teams to begin the evening as a two-hour and 12 minute weather delay pushed the start time back to a little past 8:30 p.m. ET before the game got underway.
LSU took control of the game in the top of the second inning, scoring a pair of runs thanks to a passed ball and a walk with the bases loaded to make it a 2-0 lead for the Tigers heading into the bottom of the second. After Kentucky bat in the bottom of the frame, the rains came again and the game was pushed into another weather delay that lasted 31 minutes before play resumed at 10:03 p.m. local time.
The Tigers scored three more runs in the top of the third inning as Kentucky committed three errors in the inning and four hits plated three runs for LSU to give them a 5-0 lead.
Kentucky would score one of its two runs in the bottom of the third inning on an Erin Coffel RBI double and the Wildcats loaded the bases twice in the game, but Tigers ace Sydney Berzon shut down the offense as UK left 11 on base and Berzon picked up her seventh win of the season to move to 7-0 on the year.
Game two of the series scheduled for Noon ET on Saturday has been moved back to a 6 p.m. ET start time to try and avoid the expected weather in the area. The game will be streamed on the SEC Network+ and the ESPN app as it will no longer air on linear television.
Alexia Lacatena pitched 4.1 innings, allowing just one run on five hits in the game with no walks and 64 pitched on the evening. Stephanie Schoonover started the game and struck out two batters in 2.2 innings with only one of her five runs allowed coming as earned runs.
LSU improves to 20-0. Kentucky falls to 14-5 with the loss.
Key Play
The key play in Friday’s SEC opener was a two-run play for LSU, as the Tigers were hitting with the bases loaded and one out. A wild pitch allowed one run to score to make a 2-0 lead balloon to 3-0 and then an error by the Kentucky defense compounded the play as a second Tiger run scored to make it 4-0.
Key Player
Alexia Lacatena was the key player in Friday night’s game as she pitched the final 4.1 innings of the game with one run allowed in that timeframe and surrendering just five hits.
Key Stat
- Ally Hutchins and Peyton Plotts both recorded their first-career SEC hits Friday night, as Hutchins led off the second inning with a double and Plotts hammered a single up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.
Run Recap
LSU scored twice in the second inning on a passed ball and a walked in run to take an early lead. LSU 2, UK 0
The lead for LSU ballooned to five on three Kentucky errors. LSU 5, UK 0
In the bottom of the third, Margaret Tobias drew a one-out walk and scored on an RBI double to left center field to give Kentucky its first run of the game. LSU 5, UK 1
LSU scored in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly after having runners on second and third with nobody out. LSU 6, UK 1
In the bottom of the sixth, Rylea Smith beat out an infield single to score Jenna Blanton from third with the bases loaded. FINAL – LSU 6, Kentucky 2
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