LSU Softball Recap: Baton Rouge Regional, Day One

LSU’s offensive firepower was on full display Friday, when it run-ruled LIU-Brooklyn in six inning, with a 10-2  victory in its first game of the Baton Rouge Regional.

It was a true team effort with all nine starters reaching base at least once in the victory. Sandra Simmons led-off for the Tigers and led the offensive charge going four-for-four with three runs scored, two doubles and a triple. Joining Simmons in the multi-hit club were Constance Quinn and Bailey Landry with three hits and an RBI each. Other notable performances included two-RBI by Elyse Thornhill and a solo-home run by Allie Walljasper.

Although the Tiger erupted for 10 runs, the offense didn’t get off to the best start. With the bases loaded in the first inning, Sahvanna Jaquish struck out, then Kellsi Kloss grounded out to plate Simmons and moving Landry and Bianka Bell, up a base. Unfortunately the next batter, Walljasper, would line out giving the Tigers a lone run despite being set up so well earlier in the inning.

The big inning for the Tiger offense was also the last. Landry would triple home Simmons, after she doubled to start the inning. A Blackbird error would score Landry and allow Bell to reach. Jaquish would walk and two batters later, Thornhill would plate Jaquish and Bell. The inning would come to an end when Quinn singled to score Thornhill, giving LSU ten runs and ending the game.

Sydney Smith got the start for the Tigers, but struggled at times against the Blackbirds. She allowed the two of the first three batters of the game to reach before securing the next two outs, and then the following six hitters. With LSU leading 2-0 in the fourth, Smith allowed the first two batters to reach, and after a strikeout, surrendered a double, cutting the Tiger deficit in half.

Beth Torina pulled Smith in favor of Carley Hoover. The sophomore hurler picked up a strikeout but allowed a single to tie the game, before ending the inning on another strikeout. She would allow just one other batter to reach in her final two innings of relief.

While this game was relatively close to start, LIU Brooklyn was a team the Tigers had to beat and that was accomplished. Ideally, the Tigers would have capitalized more in the first inning and have used only Smith. However, at this point in the season it’s difficult to nitpick as every win is critical.

The win puts the Tigers in the winner's bracket and will face McNeese state tomorrow at Noon. A win tomorrow puts the Tigers through to Sunday.

McNeese shuts down ASU, 5-2.

In one of the stranger almost no-hitters, the Cowgirls’ Emily Vincent carried a no hitter into the seventh inning, despite having surrendered two unearned runs. ASU certainly made matters easier for McNeese, with two innings where Vincent threw just four pitches and another two where she threw just eight. Erika Piancastelli carried the McNeese offense with two RBIs on the afternoon.