SEATTLE — A grand slam by Erika Sluss in the fourth inning got the scoring going as the sixth-ranked LSU softball team shut out Portland State, 7-0, to open play in the University of Washington Tournament on a cold and rainy Friday afternoon at the Husky Softball Stadium.
With the win, the Tigers improved to 20-1 on the season, increasing their winning streak to nine games. The loss dropped the Vikings to 4-8 on the year. LSU has now won both meetings with Portland State in school history. The pair will meet again on Saturday at noon (CT), before the Tigers take on No. 14 Washington at 2:30 p.m. (CT).
“The Northwest is living up to its name with the cold and rainy weather, but we made the most of it,” said LSU head coach Yvette Girouard. “Erika Sluss came up with the big blow, while Emily Turner kept their hitters in check. It’s a good start to the tournament but the competition will increase greatly when we face Washington tomorrow.”
Turner earned the complete-game win to improve to 7-1 on the season. She allowed just three hits to pick up her second complete-game shutout of the season. She struck out five while walking just two.
Sluss finished the game 1-for-2 with four RBIs and two runs scored, while Leslie Klein was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Vanessa Soto also had a multiple-hit game with a 2-for-3 performance with a run scored. Killian Roessner had the final LSU RBI on a 1-for-1 performance.
After threatening in the first and second, the Tigers got on the board in a big way in the fourth. Quinlan Duhon led off the inning with a walk. A bunt single by Soto sent Duhon to second. Duhon and Soto moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Roessner. A walk by Kristen Hobbs loaded the bases.
Sluss then came up with the big blow as she drove an 0-1 pitch over the left field fence for a grand slam. It marked the third home run of the year for Sluss, but the first grand slam of her career and the third for LSU this season. The three grand slams this year is the most by any Tiger team in one season in school history as LSU has now hit a total of 14 in the program’s 11 seasons.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers added one more. Klein led off with a double to center field. With one out, she moved to third on a fly out to center by Soto. Roessner then drove an RBI double to left field to score Klein from third for the 5-0 LSU lead.
The Tigers closed out the scoring in the sixth. Sluss led off the inning with a walk. Dee Dee Henderson then singled through the right side and advanced to second on the throw as they attempted to get Sluss going to third. With two outs, Klein singled through the left side to score Sluss and Henderson to put LSU ahead 7-0.
Mandy Hill took the loss to fall to 3-6 on the season. She allowed seven runs on nine hits with four walks and a strikeout in the complete-game effort.
LSU will close out the tournament on Sunday with a single game against Washington at 2 p.m. (CT). The Tigers return home next week for a mid-week game against McNeese State on Wednesday at 6 p.m. The game will be televised on Cox Sports Television in Baton Rouge on cable channel 37. LSU will then hit the road again to open SEC play at Ole Miss next weekend.