HAMMOND, La. — With a season-high four home runs and the first save of the season by Emily Turner, the 11th-ranked LSU softball team defeated Southeastern Louisiana, 6-3, on Wednesday evening at North Oak Park.
The Tigers (36-5) extended their winning streak to 11 games overall and 41 straight over Louisiana schools. The Lady Lions fell to 9-22 overall and dropped their second game to LSU this season and fell to 0-8 all time against the Tigers.
Back-to-back home runs by Vanessa Soto and Leslie Klein and a third shot by Killian Roessner helped LSU jump out to an early 3-0 lead before the Tigers held a 4-0 lead after four and a half innings. Southeastern used three runs in the fifth to get within one run, 4-3 after five. With one run in both the sixth and seventh, including a solo homer by Andrea Smith, LSU took a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
The Lady Lions made it interesting after two walks and a bunt single loaded the bases with no outs. Turner came on in relief and got the first out on a wild pitch as the SLU runner on third tried to score but was tagged out at the plate by Roessner. Turner then struck out the final two batters to end the game.
“It was a good job by Dani for a few innings and then a great job by Emily,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “Killian made a great play at the end that helped keep them from scoring.”
Megan Jolly started and earned the win to improve to 5-0 on the season. She allowed three runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts in four and two thirds innings. Dani Hofer came on in relief and allowed just one hits, but two walks in an inning and a third, while striking out three. Turner closed it out with two strikeouts in the final inning.
Five Tigers finished with multiple-hit games, including three-hit marks by Roessner, Smith and Lauren Castle, while Soto and Klein each posted a pair of hits. Roessner and Smith led the LSU effort with a pair of RBIs each, while Klein scored twice.
“We had opportunities to put the game away and we didn’t take advantage,” said Girouard. “On a positive note, we got to see several people swing the bat very well. Killian Roessner and Andrea Smith, some of the bats that hadn’t been completely there for us were absolutely there for us tonight. You have to know that the hitters that have been swinging it well will come through.
LSU got on the board in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Soto drove a 2-0 pitch over the right center field fence. Klein made it back-to-back home runs with a drive over the center field fence to make it 2-0 for the Tigers.
In the top of the second, a one-out home run by Roessner extended the lead to 3-0 in favor of LSU. With three home runs in the first seven batters, the Tigers posted the most single-game home runs of the season.
Roessner’s third hit of the game gave LSU a 4-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning. With one out, Klein reached on an infield single. A walk to Quinlan Duhon put runners on first and second. Roessner then singled through the left side, allowing Klein to score from second.
In the bottom half of the inning, Southeastern got on the board for the first time in three meetings with the Tigers. With one out, the Lady Lions got a hit from Jenaye Zeringue. With two outs, Southeastern put together three straight hits, including a two-run double by Heather Sherrill to cut the lead to one run, 4-3. Hofer came on in relief in the circle with the tying run at second and struck out Rebecca De la Garza to end the inning.
LSU got one run back in the top of the sixth inning. Smith led off with her third home run of the season. Smith drove a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence for the fourth homer of the game; marking just the sixth time in school history the Tigers have recorded four home runs in a single game.
With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Brooke Lockhart was hit by a pitch. With Lauren Winkler running at first and two outs, Duhon saved what could have been an inside the park home run by Zeringue, which would have tied the game. After the Lady Lions had been dropping hits just in front of the outfield for most of the game, Duhon was playing in at right field. Zeringue then drove a pitch deep into right field down the right field line that Duhon had to chase down and made an outstanding diving catch on to end the inning at the fence.
“Quinlan’s catch was huge,” said Girouard. “We’ve had some ESPN highlight moments. She had one against Oklahoma and absolutely had one again tonight.”
LSU got an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning. Duhon led off the inning by reaching first on a dropped fly ball error by the center fielder. On a sacrifice bunt by Roessner, Duhon moved to second. A single through the left side by Smith scored Duhon and ran the score to 6-2 in favor of Tigers.
Southeastern would not go away in the bottom of the seventh. After a leadoff walk to Amber Gentry, Michelle Lemons reached on a bunt base hit. A walk to Carolann Wenisch loaded the bases. Turner came on in relief of Hofer in the circle for LSU. On a wild pitch, Roessner tagged Gentry trying to score from third for the first out. Turner then struck out the final two batters to end the game.
Rachael Schwartz started and took the loss for Southeastern to fall to 9-9 on the season. She allowed six run, five earned, on 13 hits with five walks and three strikeouts in the complete-game effort.
The Tigers return to action this weekend with a Southeastern Conference three-game series at Tiger Park. LSU welcomes Auburn, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. for “Pack the Park” and concludes with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. The final game of the series will be televised by Cox Sports in Baton Rouge on cable channel 37.