BATON ROUGE, La. – Looking to close the 2015 Purple & Gold Challenge, and another weekend undefeated, the seventh-ranked LSU softball team put another solid offensive show on display in scoring 14 runs on 13 hits to storm past the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks 14-0 in five innings Sunday afternoon at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge.
Continuing the team’s record start which now stands at 21-0, the Tigers earned a victory via run-rule for the fourth time in five games on the weekend and the tenth time this season. LSU scored double-digit runs in each of the last three, scoring no less than seven this weekend, while having no fewer than eight hits, with three double-digit hitting outputs against its opponents.
“I think they did everything that they were supposed to do, which is honestly something that can be very difficult at times,” head coach Beth Torina said. “They did exactly what they were supposed to do. They put up a ton of runs and the offense was really impressive.”
Eight different Tiger batters earned a hit on the day, led by A.J. Andrews who capped off an unbelievable weekend going 3-for-3 with six RBI’s, with two triples, a double, two runs scored and a stolen base. Sandra Simmons connected for her first home run of the year and finished 2-for-2 with three RBIs and three runs scored, while Dylan Supak drove in two on two hits and Bianka Bell driving in one on two hits.
“I think we did really well. I think it was a really good team atmosphere this weekend,” Andrews said. “I think we were very clutch. Every single person came in and did a job. A lot of people had a chance to get at bats and to play, and everybody used their at-bats or opportunities to the best of their abilities.”
After having a tough go on Friday, starting pitcher Kelsee Selman (4-0) rebounded and was masterful in the circle, earning the complete-game shutout allowing two hits with five strikeouts and a walk. After allowing a hit in the very first inning, she didn’t give up another until the fourth, as the Ladyjacks (6-10) had only one runner reach second base and nothing further.
LSU’s offense once again proved to be another tall test for the opposing side’s pitching staff, as three hurlers combined to give up all 14 runs to the Tigers on the day, with Hannah Welch (2-1) suffering the loss after allowing five runs on four hits with a walk after facing just seven batters in 0.2 innings. Makayla Sikes saw the most time, pitching two innings but gave up nine runs on nine hits with four walks, as Callee Guffey earned the only strikeout for SFA on the day in 1.1 innings.
Andrews started the game by drawing a walk to take first. After stealing second, Bailey Landry singled in the infield to move Andrews to third, and after dancing around a bit, coerced an errant throw from first to come in to score to put LSU up 1-0 with Landry moving to second. Landry tagged up on a deep fly out to center, eventually coming in on a sac fly by Sahvanna Jaquish to make it 2-0.
Kellsi Kloss kept the inning going with an infield single to take first, as Simmons followed suit with a single up the middle to move the LSU catcher to second to put two on. They both came in as Supak banged a double off of the fence in left center to put four on the board for the Tigers. After a pitching change for SFA, a walk to Constance Quinn and Emily Griggs loaded the bases for the Tigers, and Andrews cleared the bags with a triple to right center to put LSU up 7-0.
Landry got plunked on the arm to put runners at the corners, as Bell laced one through the left side of the infield to score Andrews making it 8-0 LSU. Jaquish got hit to load the bases again for the Tigers, but the inning ended with a fly out to left.
In the very next frame, Simmons drew a walk to take first, moving to second after a Supak single to left center to put two on. After two consecutive infield popups, Andrews doubled to left center to score Simmons and move Supak to third as LSU went up 9-0 after two innings.
In the bottom of the third, Bell ripped another shot through the middle of the infield to take first, as Taylor Lockwood came on to pinch run for the shortstop. Jenna Kreamer came on to pinch hit and earned her first base knock as a Tiger with a rip through the left side to put two on. With a 1-1 count, Simmons hit a towering shot that danced down the right field line, clearing the fence just inside of the foul pole for the home run to make it 12-0 LSU.
“I think it’s having the mindset of passing the bat. If we get runners on, it keeps switching to the next batter, giving ourselves a chance,” Simmons said. “Then it’s about waiting on our pitch and hitting the ball hard, and letting everything else play out.”
A walk to Supak in that same inning put another runner on for LSU, as Sydney Bourg entered the game and earned her first collegiate hit with an infield single to put two back on for the Tigers. After a fly out to left, Andrews struck again with a bases-clearing triple to score both and put LSU on top 14-0, ending the inning scoring five runs on five hits as a group.
“I think it makes it very tough on the opponent to continue to battle. I think it’s really disheartening when you put that many runs up early,” Torina said. “You try to just keep fighting through it but it’s definitely a big momentum builder for us. I think it’s nice that they’re capable of something like that.”
LSU will be back in action on Tuesday, hosting the Northwestern State Lady Demons at 6 p.m. at Tiger Park.
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