LSU Softball Weekend Recap: Back On Track

Thanks to some outstanding pitching and timely hitting, the No.8 Tigers were able to secure two of three games from the No.10 Bulldogs, giving the Tigers their first series win in two weeks.

Against a potent offense in Georgia, it was important the Tiger pitching did what could to limit the Bulldog lineup. Over the weekend, the pitching did just that. Even in Friday’s game, arguably the worst pitched game of the series, Carley Hoover held a Georgia offense which averaged over seven runs per game, to just four, including four shutout innings to finish the game.

Saturday, Allie Walljasper had the performance of the weekend, pitching a complete game, allowing one run and striking out four. Sunday’s game saw Sydney Smith and Hoover surrender just three runs in the only LSU loss of the weekend.

Entering the seventh inning of Friday’s game, a win seemed bleak as the Tigers still trailed 4-1. It looked even worse when Amber Serrett grounded into a double-play. LSU’s offense would be sparked by an unlikely source: Walljasper. The pitcher homered on a 0-2 count, driving in Sandra Simmons. After Bailey Landry walked and Shemiah Sanchez was hit by a pitch, Bianka Bell singled, driving in Landry and Emily Griggs, who ran for Sanchez, scored on a throwing error. The play gave the Tigers a one run lead, and the eventual win.

After the offense struggled last weekend against the Gators, Beth Torina found a solution by moving Sandra Simmons to the second spot in the lineup. Building on a solid weekend against the Gators a week earlier, Simmons recorded a hit in every game against the Bulldogs, including a Saturday performance where she picked up two hits, two walks, two runs and an RBI.

Walljasper was another bright spot on offense with three RBI’s over the weekend.

On the flip side, it might be time to declare Sahvanna Jaquish is in a slump. She didn’t do much against the Gators and recorded just one hit in the series against Georgia. Another player in a slump is Amber Serrett, who went hitless over the weekend.

Overall, this weekend wasn’t perfect by LSU’s high standards, but it was good enough for two wins.

The offense is still a little worrisome with its tendency to go hot and cold, though that might be more a product of quality SEC pitching. It was good to see the Tigers pitching build off its good performance against Florida. It was even nice to see Smith used as a starter, though it seemed rather harsh for Torina to pull Smith after surrendering just two runs in an inning and a third.

LSU is returns home starting Tuesday Wednesday against Southern Miss, before hosting a ranked Kentucky team for three games in Tiger Park next weekend.