BATON ROUGE, La. – Central Arkansas softball closed out LSU's Tiger Classic on Sunday, being edged out in a pitcher's dual against the nationally ranked Tigers. The 2-1 final featured 10 combined hits and a couple of defensive highlights from the Bears defense.
 
The defense played well behind pitcher Jordan Johnson, who scattered six hits across six innings and only allowed one extra base hit. Central Arkansas played a clean game on the field, committing zero errors, compared to two miscues by LSU.
 
LSU scored first, earning a walk with two outs, before a deep hit through the right side brought the runner all the way around. Central Arkansas would answer two innings later, with Lexi McClellan earning a one-strike walk to put a runner on base. Kylie Griffin moved her over to second, before a wild pitch allowed McClellan to get on third. Jenna Wildeman helped her the last 60 feet, playing an infield ball that caused the Tiger defense to misplay the throw home.
 
The 1-1 score would hold for several innings, but not without threat from the LSU batters. With a runner on second in the fourth, McClellan made a diving catch from her center field position to end the inning, stranding a runner in scoring position. The very next inning, Mary Kate Brown stopped a heater through her side of the infield, and from a prone position, backhanded a throw to an outstretched Morgan Nelson to beat the runner by a hair's breadth.
 
Still tied in the bottom of the sixth, LSU paired a couple of singles with a sacrifice bunt to bring its second and final run in, putting the hosting Tigers back in front.
 
Central Arkansas is back on the road for another tournament next weekend, heading to Starkville, Miss., to play in Mississippi State's Bulldog Kickoff Classic. There, the Bears will face Georgia Tech, Mississippi State and Southern Illinois over a two-day span.