Cellura complete-game – Cece Cellura pitched a complete-game shutout and Maci Bergeron launched a go-ahead homer as LSU rolled past Virginia Tech 8-0 at Tiger Park, setting up a Sunday rematch in the regional final.
BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU found the clean, full-game execution it had been chasing, shutting down Virginia Tech’s offense en route to an 8-0 win at Tiger Park on Saturday afternoon.
Cece Cellura delivered LSU’s second shutout of the regional and the first complete-game shutout of her career. while Maci Bergeron matched a career-high with three hits—including a go-ahead home run—her third homer of the season.. With LSU improving to 39-17 and raising its total to 12 shutouts this season. the Tigers will return for a regional final rematch against Virginia Tech (48-11) at 1 p.m.. CT on Sunday.
“We’ve talked all year about searching for our best game, a complete game.. I think that was about as close to it as we could be,” LSU head coach Beth Torina said.. “I thought we got things from all areas, and we executed our plan beautifully.. To do that against a quality opponent like Virginia Tech is special.. We know they [Virginia Tech] are a good team from top to bottom. so it was a great day to execute the way we did.. I cannot say enough about the performance from Cece [Cellura]. who controlled a dominant offense. and it is easy to celebrate someone like Maci [Bergeron].. For her [Bergeron] to have a day as she did makes my heart want to explode.. She is the ultimate Tiger and special to all of us.”
Cellura (9-5) opened by retiring the side in three consecutive hitless innings, including two one-two-three frames and two strikeouts.. She finished with three strikeouts and allowed two hits and one walk in 6.0 innings.. Behind her. LSU’s defense kept Virginia Tech off-balance. securing eight fly outs and six groundouts. including the club’s 28th double play of the season. tying for the second-most in a single season in program history.
Bergeron went 3-for-3. driving in one of LSU’s key momentum swings with her go-ahead home run—her fourth career home run in the NCAA Tournament.. She scored one run and had two RBI.. Kylee Edwards kept her regional surge going with a 2-for-3 day, scoring one run and adding two RBI.. Char Lorenz also contributed with two hits in three at-bats, scoring one run and driving in an RBI.
Virginia Tech’s Emma Mazzarone dropped to 16-6 after surrendering three runs on two hits and walking five batters in 1.0 inning.
LSU’s bats found early rhythm, producing its third three-run inning of the regional with one hit and four walks in the second. Bergeron put the first runs on the board with a two-run shot to center field, and Jalia Lassiter delivered a sacrifice fly to make the score 3-0 through two innings.
The offense widened the gap in the fourth when K.. Edwards cleared the bases with a two-out RBI double down the left field line for her third extra-base hit of the weekend. pushing LSU to 4-0.. A four-run sixth inning then put the game fully out of reach: K.. Edwards began it with an RBI single up the middle.
After K.. Edwards. Alix Franklin reached on an error. and Sierra Daniel scored on the play for her second run of the game after reaching via a walk.. Tori Edwards added the game’s second sacrifice fly that plated K.. Edwards. and with two outs on the board. Lorenz ended it early with a single through the left side that scored Franklin. giving LSU the 8-0 lead.
The sequence of LSU’s scoring and defensive control lined up across innings: the Tigers built a 3-0 lead after the second, added a fourth-inning run to reach 4-0, then exploded for four more in the sixth while Cellura continued to limit Virginia Tech’s offense.
LSU will now host the next test in the regional final, with Virginia Tech again set to face the Tigers at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday.
LSU softball Virginia Tech Cece Cellura Maci Bergeron Tiger Park regional final 8-0 shutout