BATON ROUGE – Ashley Langoni and Juliana Santos combined for a 5-for-5 performance with three RBIs as the LSU softball team rode timely hitting to a 4-1 victory over No. 20 Auburn during the SEC opener for both teams Wednesday at Tiger Park.
Three of LSU’s (16-8, 1-1 SEC) four RBIs came with two outs, and Brittany Mack was tagged for just one run on four hits to win her fourth consecutive decision. She moved to 7-4 for the season and tallied four strikeouts.
A.J. Andrews notched a 2-for-2 effort and added two stolen bases from the bottom the lineup.
Auburn (22-4, 1-1 SEC) fired back with a 2-0 win during the nightcap behind Angel Bunner’s one-hitter. The senior southpaw improved to 9-0 on the season with the victory.
LSU jumped on Auburn right out of the gate during the first inning. Ashley Applegate smacked a leadoff single to centerfield. Two batters later, Langoni coaxed a walk followed by a Santos RBI single through the right side to give LSU a 1-0 edge.
LSU tacked on three insurance runs behind clutch hitting in the fifth inning. Andrews legged out an infield single down the first base line and swiped second base to move into scoring position.
All with two outs, Allison Falcon connected for a RBI single to right field to extend the LSU advantage to 2-0. After Falcon stole second, Langoni cranked a RBI double of her own into the right centerfield gap to push the spread to 3-0. Santos capped the frame with her second RBI single of the game to make it 4-0.
“They [Allison Falcon, Ashley Langoni and Juliana Santos] did a really good job. I thought the entire offense was really aggressive the first game,” head coach Beth Torina said. “We produced runs really well, and we got a good performance on the mound from Brittany Mack. With the exception of that first half of the first inning, it was the best game we’ve played all year without question.”
Auburn pulled back to 4-1 on Elizabeth Eisterhold’s team-leading eighth home run of the season.
After getting out of a first inning jam and working around two LSU errors, Brittany Mack mowed down 14 of the next 16 hitters before the Eisterhold long ball. She responded by retiring the final six in order aided by a Langoni outfield assist which gunned down Auburn’s Caitlin Schultze trying to stretch a single into a double with one out during the seventh inning.
“I definitely wanted to make sure I kept my teammates into it because whenever we start having errors early, I just have to make sure I do my part and keep them positive,” Mack said. “If I get down on myself, then it’s just not helping any of us out. So the key is just to stay positive and to let the girls know that we’re going to get through this no matter what.”
Game 2 – No. 20 Auburn 2, LSU 0
LSU had opportunities to dent the scoreboard first during the second and fourth innings. However, LSU was turned back by Auburn’s Angel Bunner in the circle. She tossed her fifth shutout and third one-hitter of the season.
Juliana Santos opened the home half of the second with a leadoff single but was erased at second base on a Dylan Supak sacrifice bunt attempt. After a pair of illegal pitches advanced Supak to third base, Kailey McCasland struck out followed by a Morgan Russell pop out.
Ashley Langoni drew a one-walk and Juliana Santos reached on an Auburn fielding error by third baseman Caitlin Schultze to start the fourth inning. After a Supak ground out moved the runners to second and third base, McCasland drilled a line drive into the Schultze’s glove to keep the score knotted at 0-0.
“I think Bunner just made an adjustment with our hitters,” Langoni said. “With the first pitcher [Lauren Schmaltz], we were seeing the ball. We were hitting it where it was pitched, and she [Bunner] just made a good adjustment against us and kept catching us off balance.”
After some first inning trouble, LSU’s Rachele Fico settled into a rhythm and sat down 15 of the next 16 batters she faced.
Auburn used a pair of infield singles sandwiched between a fielder’s choice bunt where Lauren Guzman was ruled safe on a bang-bang play at second inning. That allowed Auburn to load the bases.
Fico dug deep to get Auburn clean-up hitter Caitlin Jordan to strike out swinging. On a 1-0 offering, Amber Harrison slapped a two-run single off the glove of a diving McCasland at third base for the game’s only runs.
“We need to field the bunts [better],” Torina said. “It’s been a problem for weeks now. It seems like our kids are swinging well so we’re just trying to put the right combination out there and hope that everyone can swing enough and play enough defense. Rachele was aggressive and trying to get the lead runner at second base [during the sixth inning], it didn’t pay off. I think at some point it will, and hopefully she can get the win in that situation instead of it going against her.”
After LSU’s threat in the fourth inning, Bunner retired 11 of the final 12 batters to improve to 9-0 on the season. Fico fell to 7-4 and notched eight strikeouts.
LSU returns to action and plays host to Mississippi State for a three-game series at Tiger Park. Games times are Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
All three games will have live audio and live stats inside the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net. The game also will be carried live Country Legends 104.9 FM in the Baton Rouge area with Patrick Wright and Kent Low set to call the action. Saturday’s tilt will have live video in the Geaux Zone.
Fans also can follow every pitch of LSU softball this season via live in-game updates on LSU softball’s social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/lsusoftball and @lsu_softball on Twitter.
As part of Brittany Mack‘s “Geaux Play” initiative, LSU softball is encouraging fans to share the gift of sports with special needs children. Fans can donate new or gently used sports equipment during the remaining LSU softball home games at Tiger Park. For more information, visit LSUsports.net/geauxplay.
All items collected will be given directly to the Miracle League Association and six local schools that Mack will visit during the season. At LSU’s series finale versus Ole Miss on April 22, Mack will invite all the children to the game as her special VIP guests for “Geaux Play” day at Tiger Park.
The Tiger Park Ticket Booth will open 90 minutes prior to first pitch each day. Fans can purchase tickets on-site starting at $5 for adult general admission and $3 for youth ages 3-12. Tickets also are available online at www.LSUtix.net.
Season ticket holders will have their tickets scanned upon entrance to Tiger Park. The LSU Athletics Ticket Office urges season ticket holders to be cautious when separating their bar-coded tickets. The barcode must be attached to the ticket when arriving at the gate. If the barcode detaches, season ticket holders must stop by the LSU Athletics Ticket Office on the first floor of the Athletics/Administration Building for a reprint of their tickets.
Softball Postgame Quotes
LSU vs. No. 20 Auburn – March 14, 2012
Head Coach Beth Torina
On pitching performances by Brittany Mack and Rachele Fico…
“They [Fico & Mack] were great, but we need to field the bunts. It’s been a problem for weeks now. It seems like our kids are swinging well so we’re just trying to put the right combination out there and hope that everyone can swing enough and play enough defense. We’re trying to avoid that from happening. Rachele was aggressive and trying to get the lead runner at second base [during the sixth inning], it didn’t pay off. I think at some point it will, and hopefully she can get the win in that situation instead of it going against her.”
On Auburn’s pitching…
“Definitely a lot of credit to their pitcher [Angel Bunner]. She was really good. She’s very talented without question, but our pitchers also are as very well.”
On why LSU had a more difficult time hitting in the second game…
“She [Bunner] did a very good job at moving the ball around the zone, and she kept us really off balance. In the first game, we were able to step outside the plate a little bit more. I think facing a left hander is a little bit of an oddity because you just don’t see as much of that, but she’s very good.”
On the good performance in the first game from LSU’s 2, 3, and 4 hitters…
“They [Allison Falcon, Ashley Langoni and Juliana Santos] did a really good job. I thought the entire offense was really aggressive the first game. We produced runs really well, and we got a good performance on the mound from Brittany Mack. With the exception of that first half of the first inning, it was the best game we’ve played all year without question.”
On Langoni’s current hot streak…
“She’s been great. She served us very well defensively in that first game as well. I thought her defense was amazing. She had me on my feet on that one play [in the seventh inning where she threw the Auburn runner out at second base]. She’s been playing great and swinging great. She’s one of the leaders of the team, and we expect her to do that for us.”
On Mississippi State…
“They have a really good offense from what we’ve seen, and we’ll start preparing for them tomorrow. Hopefully, our pitching is good enough to hold any offense in the conference.”
Left fielder Ashley Langoni
On splitting today’s games…
“You want to win every game, but that’s just how it goes – you win some and you lose some. We’ve just got to take it and learn from it.”
On the difference between Auburn’s pitchers from both games…
“I think Bunner just made an adjustment with our hitters. With the first pitcher [Lauren Schmaltz], we were seeing the ball. We were hitting it where it was pitched, and she [Bunner] just made a good adjustment against us and kept catching us off balance.”
On the importance of scoring first …
“Whoever scores first gets that momentum, and it’s always going to be a different ball game. When you score first, that puts pressure on the other team.”
On Brittany Mack‘s performance…
“She always starts off a little rocky, but she gets in her groove. She comes out with a lot of fire, and she knows how to get the job done. Similar to Fico; Fico is the most fierce competitor that I’ve ever seen.”
On her great defensive plays during game one…
“After that first home run that they hit, I wasn’t going to let it go over the fence again. When I saw it coming at me, I was thinking to myself, ‘You have to get this one to second as quick as possible,’ and I was really excited that I got it. I kind of fist-pumped.”
On Mississippi State…
“There’s no doubt that they’re a better team than they were last year. We can’t take them for granted. We can’t take them lightly – we have to come in and play our best game each game.”
Pitcher Brittany Mack
On finding her rhythm and getting SEC play started on the right note…
“I definitely wanted to make sure I kept my teammates into it because whenever we start having errors early, I just have to make sure I do my part and keep them positive. If I get down on myself, then it’s just not helping any of us out. So the key is just to stay positive and to let the girls know that we’re going to get through this no matter what.”
On the big two-out hits to extend the lead…
“It was great because it takes a lot off my shoulders. But it’s also good to know that whenever I go out there on the mound, I don’t have to stress about ‘I better not pitch to this hitter – I don’t want her to get on base.’ So it’s nice to know that if I get someone on base, it’s okay because I still have pitching behind me.”
On Mississippi State…
“I think to a certain extent, we play well against better teams because we know it’s going to be tough from the get-go. So instead of just assuming that this will just be another easy game – knowing that they’ve already beaten Georgia – we know we have to come at them with everything we’ve got.”