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The No.5 Tigers pushed their winning streak to five when they defeated South Alabama 5-0 thanks to a great performance from Allie Walljasper.
Walljasper pitched a complete game shutout, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out eight. The only real threat by the Jaguars came in the third when two runners reached, but neither came around to score.
On offense, Beth Torina kept an almost identical lineup from Sunday’s game against UCLA, with the exception being Elyse Thornhill as the DP. For a second straight game Constance Quinn led off and had another good game, reaching base twice and scoring once. The middle of the Tiger lineup, Sahvanna Jaquish, Bianka Bell and Kellsi Kloss went a combined 3-for-8 with four RBI’s.
LSU’s offense got going in the third inning when Bell had an RBI double, which was followed by a RBI single by Kloss . In the fourth, Jaquish plated two with an RBI single and would later come in to score on an error. Defense was not a premium in this game with both teams committing two errors each.
The defense continues to be worrisome. However, Jenna Kreamer and Taylor Satchell, two players not expected to be regulars during conference play, have a combined four of the team's total 13 errors. In theory, once the lineup becomes more set, the rate of errors should decrease.
Considering how similar this lineup was to the last game, the lineup experimentation might be dwindling. Though with 12 non conference games remaining prior to SEC play, and none against any particularly great teams, there will probably some minor changes game-to-game.
While this win certainly does not have the name recognition of a UCLA or UCF, South Alabama still made the WCWS series last year and is the fourth 2015 WCWS participant LSU has faced this year, not yet counting the upcoming SEC slate. Although the Jaguars are not ranked now, they were ranked in the first two polls of the season.
LSU hosts the "Purple & Gold Challenge" this weekend, featuring Illinois State and Texas Tech, two below average teams.