BATON ROUGE, La. – A late rally by No. 5/3 Oklahoma spoiled a strong pitching performance by LSU’s Cece Cellura, as the Sooners defeated the No. 20 Tigers 3-2 in eight innings Friday night at Tiger Park. The loss drops LSU to 22-11 overall and 3-7 in Southeastern Conference play, while Oklahoma improves to 33-2 and remains undefeated in SEC action at 7-0.
The game was a pitcher’s duel for much of the evening, with Cellura holding Oklahoma’s potent offense scoreless through seven innings. However, the Sooners capitalized on their 10th hit of the game in the eighth, ultimately securing the victory. LSU Head Coach Beth Torina emphasized the team’s strong effort despite the outcome, stating, “We played great…Cece Cellura was just incredible.”
Cellura’s Stellar Performance Not Enough
Cellura delivered a dominant performance, throwing 117 pitches across 7.0 innings. She allowed three runs on 10 hits, while striking out three and walking none. Notably, Oklahoma was held without a home run for just the second time this season, a testament to Cellura’s effectiveness. The Sooners’ offense, which entered the game leading the nation in several offensive categories, struggled to break through against the LSU right-hander.
Despite Cellura’s efforts, Oklahoma managed to tie the game in the seventh and take the lead in the eighth. Jayden Heavener (7-7) was charged with the loss after allowing the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. She pitched one inning, recording one strikeout and one walk.
Lassiter Leads LSU Offense, Franklin Delivers Clutch Hit
Jalia Lassiter provided a spark for the LSU offense, going 3-for-4 with a solo home run – her fifth of the season – and scoring twice. This marked her ninth multi-hit game of the year. Alix Franklin also contributed significantly, going 2-for-2 with a game-tying RBI single and drawing two walks. Franklin’s single in the seventh inning plated Lassiter, knotting the score at 2-2 and extending the game.
Oklahoma’s Miali Guachino (9-0) earned the win in relief, pitching 1.1 innings and allowing just one hit and one walk. Starter Audrey Lowry went 6.1 innings, giving up two runs on five hits and five walks.
Game Recap: Tigers Strike First, Sooners Respond
Lassiter’s solo home run in the third inning gave LSU an early 1-0 lead. The Tigers’ defense, highlighted by a diving catch by Char Lorenz in left field, kept Oklahoma off the board for the first six innings. However, the Sooners finally broke through in the seventh, scoring two runs on a single by Kendall Wells to take a 2-1 advantage. LSU quickly responded in the bottom of the seventh, tying the game on Franklin’s RBI single.
In the top of the eighth, a double by Gabbie Garcia set the stage for Oklahoma. Garcia then scored on a sacrifice fly by Abby Dayton, giving the Sooners a 3-2 lead. LSU managed to get a runner on in the bottom of the eighth with a walk by Maci Bergeron, but Guachino shut down the rally with a strikeout and a pop-up, securing the win for Oklahoma.
Game two of the series is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on Saturday and will be broadcast on SEC Network. More information on LSU softball can be found on the official LSU Athletics website.
The Tigers will demand to quickly regroup as they face a tough Oklahoma team again tomorrow. A strong offensive performance and continued pitching excellence will be crucial for LSU to even the series.
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