Redshirt third baseman Logan Morris (2-3, 3 RBI, 1 HR) hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift the NC State softball team to a 3-1 win over the No. 15 LSU Tigers in the first game of the series Friday, April 16 at Dail Softball Stadium.
“Our goal is to win the series this weekend,” said head coach Jennifer Patrick-Swift. “We want to be getting hot at the right time… This is when we want to be playing our best ball.”
The Tigers (24-14) drew first blood in the top of the first. LSU left fielder Ciara Briggs pounced on the 2-2 pitch from redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Abby Trahan (7 IP, ER, 3 H, 6 K) for a solo homer, putting the Tigers up 1-0 over the Wolfpack (22-11).
That was the only offensive action to be had for a while, as the Wolfpack was retired in order in the bottom of the first. Trahan traded scoreless frames with LSU right-handed pitcher Shelbi Sunresi until the bottom of the sixth. The Pack did not even get on base until the bottom of the fourth when Morris threaded a two-out single to left field, but she was called out on the next play due to runner’s interference to end the inning.
“That’s one good thing that our offense stays really even-keeled,” Patrick-Swift said. “They don’t really get too much pressure because they know that it’s just a matter of time until that first one goes out of the park.”
After another scoreless inning in the fifth, NC State staged its comeback in the bottom of the sixth when redshirt sophomore second baseman April Visser (1-2) hit a Texas leaguer into shallow center for a leadoff base hit. Redshirt senior center fielder Angie Rizzi (1-3) followed up with a line drive over the head of the Tigers’ center fielder, putting runners at second and third with nobody out.
Redshirt junior left fielder Sam Russ (1-3) then attempted a squeeze bunt to score Visser from third and tie the game. After initially being called safe, Visser was deemed out at home upon a review from the umpires. Since Russ scurried to second base in the aftermath of her bunt, NC State had both remaining runners in scoring position with one away. Morris capitalized on this opportunity by hitting the 2-1 pitch over the fence for a three-run shot, giving the Pack a 3-1 lead.
“At first, I was trying to stay locked in,” Morris said. “There was a controversial call right before. I was like, ‘Logan, just get up there, get it done. Umpires can’t screw a home run.’”
After a ground out and fly out ended the sixth inning, Trahan took care of business in the top of the seventh. Despite a one-out error by Rizzi on a shallow pop fly, Trahan added two more strikeouts to her total in the final frame, finishing the game with six punchouts and sealing the 3-1 Wolfpack victory.
“I just stayed calm because I know how well we’ve been hitting and playing defense,” Trahan said. “Overall, I knew I wasn’t by myself out there.”
The Pack will look to clinch the series against LSU on Saturday, April 17 in a doubleheader. The first pitches are slated for 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively, and both games can be caught on ACC Network Extra.
