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No. 9 LSU evens the series at No. 3 Texas

by:Tara Henry•04/18/25
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Photo courtesy of LSU Athletics

The Tigers snapped a four-game losing streak with a 6-1 win behind a strong performance in the circle from Tatum Clopton. Clopton earned just her sixth start of the season—and only her second in SEC play. Sydney Berzon notched her second save of the year, tossing 1.1 innings in relief.

Clopton improved to 6-1 on the season, allowing one run on four hits. She walked five and struck out two.

Texas started Mac Morgan, and LSU jumped on her early. Morgan went 2.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits before Citlaly Gutierrez and eventually Cambria Salmon entered in relief.

Lineup Changes:
Texas shuffled the lineup, with Katie Stewart making her first start of the season at shortstop and Victoria Hunter slotting into the DP role. Meanwhile, McKenzie Redoutey returned to the LSU lineup after missing Game 1.

How It Happened:

LSU came out hot, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Jalia Lassiter got things started with a one-out single just over the glove of Kaydee Bennett at second base, bringing Tori Edwards to the plate. Edwards doubled to right, putting runners on second and third for Maci Bergeron. The junior catcher singled to left to score Lassiter and give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. McKenzie Redoutey followed with a groundout to second, bringing home Edwards for the second run of the inning.

In the top of the second, Joley Mitchell doubled off the wall in left-center, and Katie Stewart followed with a double of her own. Mitchell, who wasn’t going on the pitch, scored on a bobbled relay. Katie Cimusz laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Stewart to third, and Victoria Hunter drew a one-out walk. Bennett then lined into a double play to end the threat.

After recording the first out in the third inning, Texas made a pitching change, bringing in Citlaly Gutierrez.

Lassiter jumped on the first pitch she saw and smoked a ball to deep center field. Edwards followed with a two-run home run to left field on a curveball on the outer half, extending the LSU lead to 4-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, Clopton worked around back-to-back walks to start the inning, inducing a flyout and a pair of groundouts. The LSU starter mixed her offspeed effectively with a rise ball up and in to keep Texas hitters off balance.

Texas threatened again in the bottom of the sixth, Mitchell drew a two-out walk and advanced to third on Stewart’s double down the left field line, which deflected off the glove of Danieca Coffey at third. Cimusz drew a walk to load the bases for Hunter. LSU turned to All-American Sydney Berzon in the circle, and Texas countered with pinch hitter Vanessa Quiroga. Berzon got the groundout to escape the bases-loaded jam.

LSU added insurance in the top of the seventh. Coffey hit a hard ground ball off the pitcher’s glove and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice, beating the throw on a grounder to short. Edwards walked on four straight pitches to load the bases for Bergeron. Bergeron came through again, singling through the right side to score both Coffey and Lassiter, though she was thrown out at second trying to stretch the play. Cambria Salmon entered for Gutierrez with one out and a runner on third, recording back-to-back groundouts to end the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Berzon ran into some trouble after a throwing error to start the inning, followed by a walk. After striking out Henry, Berzon induced another ground ball to complete the save.

The rubber match will be at noon ET on ESPN2.

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Brady Vernon’s thoughts from Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas & LSU
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