The Walk-Off: LSU’s pleasant ending, Mississippi State bites back, Kilfoyl’s gem

By
Brady Vernon
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Courtesy of Georgia Jones/LSU Athletics

Top 25 Matchups

No. 1 Oklahoma 6, No. 18 Kansas 1

Kelly Maxwell looked like the arm that was the best pitcher in the country a few years ago. She held a no-hitter with two outs in the seventh before allowing a solo home run to Campbell Bagshaw. The Sooners blasted three home runs off of Kasey Hamilton. Tiare Jennings is pacing toward the Player of the Year award with a two-run homer in the first. Meanwhile, Cydney Sanders and Alynah Torres hit home runs as they are hitting as well as they did when they helped Arizona State to a Pac-12 title.

No. 4 Duke 14, No. 10 Virginia Tech 5 (F/5)

The Blue Devils never looked back after a great start. Duke pushed Virginia Tech starter Emma Mazzarone – who got the ball over Emma Lemley and Lyndsey Grein – out of the game in the second inning after scoring eight runs. The Blue Devils scored in all four innings they had at-bats in. Claire Davidson, Aminah Vega and Jada Baker combined for nine RBIs. Will Virginia Tech bounce back with Lemley or Grein in the circle on Friday?

No. 15 Mississippi State 13, No. 9 Florida 12

The Gators’ offense has seemingly turned a corner against Power Five opponents after struggling earlier in the year. However, they also had their worst pitching performance on Thursday. Florida went up by six after a five-run sixth inning. The Bulldogs finding ways to score. Between errors and free passes, Mississippi State kept scoring before Paige Cook lifted a two-run go-ahead homer to finish the seven-run frame. Josey Marron closed it to complete the comeback. Madisyn Kennedy stayed hot with a home run and a double to drive in four runs.

No. 13 LSU 2, No. 11 Texas A&M 1 (F/8)

LSU really needed a boost. Taylor Pleasants really needed a boost. The veteran shortstop delivered. Pleasants launched a walk-off homer off of Emiley Kennedy in the eighth inning to take the series opener. The Tigers struggled to find offense against Kennedy until they could manufacture the tying run on a Ciara Briggs’ infield single in the fifth. After a rough first inning, Sydney Berzon kept the hot Aggies lineup off the board for seven innings.

No. 7 Oklahoma State 5, No. 2 Texas 0

Lexi Kilfoyl allowed seven hits but don’t let that fool you how good she was against the Longhorns. The down-baller didn’t allow the Texas bats to drive the ball, only allowing singles. Texa threatened putting runners on second and third with one out, needing a productive at-bat to push across a run. Instead, Kilfoyl struck out Kayden Henry and Mia Scott to keep the Longhorns off the board. She’d finish with seven strikeouts. Karli Godwin and Tallen Edwards were hunting Teagan Kavan’s riseball as each hit a solo home run. Micaela Wark had three two-out RBIs against Mac Morgan.

Upsets and Close Calls

Kentucky 6, No. 13 Alabama 3

A bit on a wonky game that had a small strike zone with 13 walks. The first four runs of the game were scored on walks, a passed ball and a wild pitch. The Wildcats cashed in on more of their opportunities including Taylor Ebbs two-RBI pinch-hit single. Alabama stranded nine runners on base, as two of its three hits were solo home runs in the sixth. That is a credit to Stephanie Schoonover, who threw 181 pitches in the complete game win.

ECU 5, No. 25 FAU 4 (F/14)

Neither team wanted to lose this game. Trinity Schlotterbeck hit a two-run double in the seventh to push things to extras, but they probably didn’t realize they’d play another full game. Each defense was able to find plays to get out of jams. Logan Sutton decided to put it where no one could get it. The ECU second baseman blasted a solo homer to lead off the 14th. Addy Bullis tossed seven scoreless innings in relief to earn her seventh win of the year.

No. 8 Washington 5, Oregon State 4

After Rylee Holtorf and Alana Johnson homered in the first inning, the Huskies failed to score until the seventh. But better late than never. Kinsely Fielder found the gap in left field to score Avery Hobson and end the game in the seventh. The Beavers scored four runs against Ruby Meylan. Sidne Peters came in and threw 2.1 hitless innings.

No. 16 UCLA 5, Oregon 3

The Ducks continue to play well but the Bruins found a way to get it done. UCLA watched its lead disappear in the sixth after Emma Kauf doubled in the tying run. Ramsey Suarez then came in to his pinch-hit go-ahead single in the bottom of the sixth for the Bruins as Taylor Tinsley closed out the win.

Softball Around America

No. 18 Texas State 1, South Alabama 0 

The Jessica Mullins-Olivia Lackie matchup followed the script. Mullins, with help from her defense, didn’t allow a hit until an infield single by the speedy Mackenzie Brasher in the sixth. Nevertheless, she tossed another shutout and allowed only three baserunners. Ciara Trahan’s single against Lackie in the fifth cashed in on two two-out walks to provide the only run the Bobcats needed.

Liberty 2, Louisiana Tech 0 

The Flames didn’t exactly plan on Kaylan Yoder to be the team’s ace, yet she’s pitched too well. Yoder tossed a complete game one-hitter with eight strikeouts against the Bulldogs in the big Conference USA series. Liberty manufactured a pair of runs in the second inning.

Charlotte 4, Wichita State 3

The Niners trailed for nearly the entirety of the game. Arianna Rodi finally got Charlotte on the board in the fifth. Her team kept passing the bat in the sixth, finding three runs including Olivia Williams to take the lead and eventually the series opener. 

Players of the Day

Isa Torres, Florida State

The Florida State freshmen have been great all year, and Torres stepped up again against NC State. The shortstop smashed her third hit of the day for a two-run walk-off home run.

Rylie Bouvier, McNeese

The third baseman finished with five RBIs in the 10-8 win over Northwestern State in a pivotal Southland series. She had the go-ahead double to start a six-run fifth inning.

Ana Serafinko, St. John’s

The junior tossed the first Red Storm No-Hitter since March 26, 2017 in a run-rule win over DePaul. 

Mya Dodge, Missouri

Dodge, the reigning Missouri Valley Player of the Year might be finding her stride with her new team. After having a five-RBI game earlier in the week, she had another in a 11-2 win over George Mason behind three doubles.

Andie Edwards & Meagan Brown, ULM 

These two combined for 11 RBIs in ULM’s 16-8 win over Marshall. It’s worth nothing that Marshall’s Brooklyn Ulrich had a two-homer and five-RBI game as well.

Plays of the Day

Milestone Moments

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Brady Vernon

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