Georgia drops LSU

Georgia scored three runs in the first inning and cruised to a 6-1 Southeastern Conference victory over the LSU softball team Saturday in front of 1,750 fans at Tiger Park.

Georgia (38-12, 15-9 Southeastern Conference) moved into sole possession of fourth place, one game ahead of LSU (33-18, 14-10) in the league standings. The teams play a series finale — LSU’s home finale — at 1 p.m. Sunday.

“Georgia has such a tough offense,” LSU coach Beth Torina said. “They really find a way to make things happen. I thought today was just a case that they hit some balls in the right spot where we couldn’t defend them. I didn’t think anything was just crushed off of Brittany Mack. I didn’t think there were any mistake pitches she threw. They just put balls in the right spot, and that’s what a good offense will do.”

Georgia’s Tess Sito (9-1) struck out three in 5.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits and also went 2-for-4 with a run. And LSU’s Mack (14-9) yielded six runs, four earned, on eight hits, with seven strikeouts.

Sito, on with a leadoff single, beat a play at the plate to score Georgia’s first run, and Kristyn Sandberg and Christine Olney tacked on RBI singles to complete the three-run first inning.

Georgia got two more runs in the third, with pinch runner Macie Couey scoring on a Lauren Houston passed ball and Gracie Goulder adding an RBI single.

LSU scored its lone run in the third inning on Ashley Langoni’s two-out RBI single, getting withing 5-1.

“I challenged Ashley to step up for us, and she responds well to that,” Torina said. “She did a great job, and I think she has to be the one to lead this offense. She’s trying to do that with that performance today.”

After LSU scored, Sito retired the final seven batters she faced before giving way to Morgan Montemayor for the final five outs and Goulder had a second RBI single in the fifth.

“I know that we can play with Georgia,” Torina said. “I know that it will be a great day for these seniors in honoring those who have meant so much to this program. We need to go out and win this ball game. It’s definitely something we’re capable of doing.

“Give a lot of credit to Georgia. They’re a talented team, but we have a talented team ourselves.”