LSU tags Canady, Stanford in run-rule victory
LSU reminded us why it was the last undefeated team in the country. The Tigers made NiJaree Canady look human. LSU run-ruled Stanford 11-1 in five innings.
The Tigers had an impressive, aggressive plan against Canady. Everything that Beth Torina, Bryce Neal and company did felt calculated from putting Kelley Lynch in the three-hole despite recent struggles to having Taylor Pleasants bunt for a hit.
Canady never found momentum and the energy that gets her going. The Tigers scored three runs in the first before Stanford recorded an out. Lynch, one of the handful of batters to homer off Canady, lined a double to get the scoring started. Raeleen Gutierrez singled up the middle to bring in the third run.
The Stanford ace did find a good job escaping jams until the fifth inning. That’s when LSU finally knocked her out of the circle. After back-to-back singles, Ali Newland put a bow on the offensive performance against Canady by launching a three-run homer. That was the 10th hit Canady allowed, the most in her career.
🔺5 | Way Way Outta Here@ali44newland | 📺 ESPNU [https://t.co/GAW241XeMC] pic.twitter.com/sGoY5mdSTX
— LSU Softball (@LSUsoftball) May 25, 2024
Regan Krause came in and the fifth inning got away from Stanford. Maci Bergeron smoked a home run in the first at-bat against Krause. The Tigers collected three singles before Lynch hit a grand slam to put the game in run-rule territory as Krause exited after recording one out.
🔺5 | First home run of the season is a grand slam IN SUPERS! Boss Move 😎 @kelleylynch27 | 📺 ESPNU [https://t.co/GAW241XeMC] pic.twitter.com/bUA9cKdfjz
— LSU Softball (@LSUsoftball) May 25, 2024
Everyone at the top of the order caught barrels. McKenzie Redoutey, Ciara Briggs, Gutierrez Lynch and Pleasants combined to go 13-for-18.
Sydney Berzon lived up to the pitcher’s duel hype. She walked a pair in the first inning and the Cardinal got an early run back. Berzon didn’t run into much trouble after that. The Cardinal only found three hits against the sophomore righty. Berzon rolled six groundouts, four flyouts and earned five strikeouts in her 20th win of the season.
Stanford will most likely turn back to Canady with its season on the line on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET.
