An offensive explosion that included four doubles and a home run led the 15th-ranked LSU softball team to a 9-0 run-rule win over South Carolina in six innings on Sunday afternoon at Beckham Field.

With the win, the Tigers (41-15, 17-11 Southeastern Conference) wrapped up the third seed heading into the SEC Tournament at Tiger Park next weekend. The win put LSU ahead of Tennessee by percentage points in the league standings and will play the sixth-seeded team on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

“I’m really proud of the team today,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “They understood the importance of the game. We had a goal set and we met it. On to the tournament where we have to have a championship mentality from here on in.”

The loss ended the Gamecocks’ season at 21-26 overall and 8-18 in conference play. South Carolina ended just percentage points behind Ole Miss for the eighth and last spot in the league tournament.

A trio of Tigers recorded three hits in the contest as Quinlan Duhon was 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs, while Rachel Mitchell and Killian Roessner were both 3-for-4 with two doubles each. Roessner and Tayl'r Hollis each posted a pair of RBIs, while Mitchell had one. Cody Trahan earned the complete-game shutout win to improve to 17-4 on the season. She allowed only two hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

“I thought Cody threw great,” said Girouard. “She was in total control. Rachel Mitchell and Quinlan Duhon continue to hit the ball about as hard as you can possibly hit it. We continue to get stellar defensive play from Jessica Mouse and the entire team.”

LSU wasted no time in breaking through on the scoreboard. With one out, Shannon Stein singled up the middle. Rachel Mitchell followed suit with a single to right field. After the first pitch to Quinlan Duhon, the ball tipped off the glove of pitcher Krystle Robinson, allowing Stein and Mitchell to move to second and third.

Duhon then matched her career best nine-game hitting streak with a single to left field that scored both Stein and Mitchell and allowed Duhon to advance to second. A double to left field by Killian Roessner, her team-leading 14th of the season, scored Duhon from second for the 3-0 Tiger lead.

After recording her sixth RBI of the weekend, Duhon was walked with one out in the top of the third. With two outs, Erika Sluss also drew a walk to push Duhon to second. A single that tipped off the glove of the diving shortstop by Tayl'r Hollis scored Duhon from second for the 4-0 advantage.

Mitchell led off the top of the fifth inning with her second hit of the day, a double that tied her with Roessner for the team lead. Duhon then posted her second home run of the weekend to push the LSU lead to 6-0. The ninth home run of the season for Duhon was also the 28th of her career, pushing her into sole possession of third place on the career home run list, three behind second play Julie Wiese and four behind record holder Leslie Klein.

Roessner then singled for her second hit of the game. With Tiffany Shaw running for Roessner, she stole second. Shaw then came around to score on a single by Hollis, her second RBI of the day that gave the Tigers the 7-0 lead.

With two more runs in the top of the sixth, LSU put itself in the position to end the game early. Henderson was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. With one out and Henderson on second with her 33rd stolen base of the season, Mitchell knocked her home on her second double of the game. After Duhon singled off the pitcher, Mitchell moved to third. The second double of the game for Roessner scored Mitchell before Duhon was thrown out on a close play at the plate with the Tigers leading, 9-0.

Krystle Robinson started and took the loss to fall to 8-7 on the season. She allowed three runs on three hits with a strikeout in a third of an inning. Melissa Hendon came on in relief and gave up four runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts in three and two-thirds. Kate Pouliot closed out the game, giving up two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in the final two innings.

LSU returns home to host the SEC Tournament this week. The Tigers will begin play on Thursday in the final game of the day at 7:30 p.m. against either Auburn, Georgia or Mississippi State depending on the outcome of Sunday’s games. If LSU wins its first game, it will advance to play on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the semifinals. The championship game is on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.