LAFAYETTE — No. 3 LSU overcame an early deficit with a dominant offensive surge, defeating Louisiana 11-4 on Tuesday night at Lamson Park.
The Ragin’ Cajuns (16-15) struck first, capitalizing in the third inning with freshman Emily Smith’s bases-clearing double to take a 3-0 lead. Senior Sam Roe followed with an RBI single to center, extending the advantage to 4-0.
LSU (30-2) responded in the fourth inning with a six-run explosion. McKenzie Redoutey put the Tigers on the board with an RBI double down the right-field line. Avery Hodge then delivered the game’s turning point, launching a two-run homer to right, giving LSU a 5-4 lead. The Tigers added another run before the inning ended.
“It felt like a punch in the gut,” Louisiana head coach Alyson Habetz said. “You can’t emulate that in practice until you’ve experienced it. Every experience, good or bad, teaches us a lesson for down the road.”
The offensive barrage continued in the fifth, as LSU tacked on five more runs. Notre Dame product Maci Bergeron led the charge, finishing 2-for-4 with four RBI, including a bases-clearing double.
Bergeron said she tried to stay focused despite playing in front of familiar faces.
“I saw some of my old neighbors, family, and friends, and I got to listen to some Cajun music today, so it was pretty cool,” Bergeron said. “I try not to put too much pressure on myself. If I do, I start overthinking things. I was just trying to be within myself today.”
Louisiana returns to Sun Belt Conference play with a three-game series at Coastal Carolina beginning Friday. Meanwhile, LSU gets back into their SEC games with a weekend series against No. 10 South Carolina at Tiger Park .
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