It wasn’t dominant, but the LSU softball team kept its Softball College World Series hopes alive by winning the Baton Rouge regional 4-1.
The climax of the weekend occurred in the decisive sixth game when Bianka Bell drove in Sydney Bourg in the bottom of the ninth inning to send LSU to a Super Regional for the first time since 2012.
LSU’s pitching carried the team through the weekend. Ace Carly Hoover was dominant over the weekend throwing two complete games and allowing a combined one run while striking out 14, in just her starts. Hoover also had two relief appearances on the weekend.
Allie Walljasper who pitched nine and a third strong innings of one earned run ball in the Tigers extra innings win over Arizona State in game seven.
The weekend appeared to be off to a good start for the Tigers after the team beat Texas Southern 15-0 in five innings.
Then LSU’s recent offensive struggles kicked in as Hoover would pick up the loss as LSU dropped to Arizona State 1-0 on Saturday.
RBI singles from Kellsi Kloss and Sahvanna Jaquish in top of the tenth in the second Saturday game against Nebraska would prove to be the difference and set the Tigers up for a rematch against ASU in the Super Regional Final.
Hoover and a three-RBI performance from Constance Quinn would lead to the decisive game seven, where Bell would put the Tigers into the next round.
In the big picture, it was good to see LSU maintain its pitching dominance and the team should have a lot of confidence in both Hoover and Walljasper going forward.
Offensively, the Tigers struggles continued, minus the Texas Southern game. However, the team offense did come through when it mattered most in the two extra innings wins.
Next up for the Tigers is a matchup with Arizona in a best-of-three in Baton Rouge, starting Saturday at 2 PM.