BATON ROUGE, La. – In the opening game of the 2015 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional for the squad, the No. 8 LSU softball team exploded for a NCAA postseason program record 15 runs on 11 hits, while starting pitcher Kelsee Selman tossed the 18th postseason shutout in team history in a 15-0 win over the Texas Southern Tigers late Friday in Baton Rouge.
Fighting through a multitude of delays due to rain and lightning, the Tigers (45-11) struck blows of their own in a big way early, producing 10 runs in the very first inning alone which is a new NCAA team record, scoring five more in the next to jut out to a large enough lead that the team would never relinquish to move on to the winner’s game tomorrow morning to open the second day of action at Tiger Park.
“I thought it was nice to see them jump out early like that especially against a lot of different types of pitching we saw tonight,” head coach Beth Torina said. “We faced three different pitchers. It was nice to see them jump out early and continue to make adjustments with different pitchers throughout the game.”
Bianka Bell led the charge for the squad, going 2-for-2 with a home run and a triple, four RBIs and three runs scored with a walk against Texas Southern (25-17), tying the individual program record runs scored. The homer tied her with Sahvanna Jaquish for the most in a single season, while hitting her second three-bagger of the season.
A.J. Andrews also tied the runs scored mark as well, as she finished the night 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored with a stolen base. Bailey Landry hit her first home run of the year going 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Emily Griggs had a double and drove in two with two runs scored.
“It was a good start to this first game of the weekend,” Bell said. “It will be tough to continue that through the next game. We just need to carry over what we did today into tomorrow.”
Kelsee Selman (9-0) struck out seven and walked just two in scattering three hits in the five-inning victory, as LSU has run ruled six teams when Selman has earned a start in the circle.
“I thought she did exactly what we needed her to do. She threw hard, and she threw strikes,” Torina said. “She did exactly what we needed her to do.”
Texas Southern used three pitchers on the night, with Sammantha Jimenez (7-5) suffering the loss after allowing five runs on two hits with three walks and didn’t get out of the first inning, while Brianna Bryant allowed 10 runs on seven hits in 1.1. innings and Jasmin Fulmore pitching the final 2.2 and allowing just two hits with four strikeouts.
A leadoff walk to Andrews on four pitches in the bottom of the first opened the batting night for LSU, as after a 27-minute delay, she stole second base to get into scoring position. With a 3-2 count, Landry ripped one high down the line to right field, clearing the fence to give the Tigers a 2-0 off the jump. The team didn’t get off the gas, as Bell scorched one to dead center for the solo shot to make it 3-0 LSU, the fifth time this season the team has had back-to-back home runs.
Jaquish earned a walk to take first, as another to Kellsi Kloss prompted a pitching change for Texas Southern just five batters in. A bunt single by Sandra Simmons loaded the bases for LSU, as the first out came via a swinging strikeout.
The floodgates opened as Sydney Bourg was hit by a pitch to score one, with a double to left center by Griggs bringing in two and a single by Andrews giving the Tigers at 7-0 lead in the blink of an eye. After a walk to Landry the second time around loaded the bases again, Bell was hit to bring in a run, with a fielder’s choice RBI scoring one and a single from Kloss plating the final run to put up double-digits as LSU led 10-0 at that point.
In the very next frame, a leadoff double by Constance Quinn opened the inning, as she advanced to third after an error in the field on a bad throw by the catcher. A walk to Bourg put runners at the corners, with a walk to Griggs loading the bases for the Tigers.
A single by Andrews that fell between the left and center fielder allowed Bourg to score, with Griggs now at third and Andrews at center to make it 11-0. An infield grounder by Landry kept the runners at bay, but not for long as Bell sliced a triple to right, driving in both to make it 14-0. As Jaquish came through with a single through the left side to score one to make it 15-0, before the next play a lightning delay forced play to halt again.
LSU will now move on to play the winner’s game tomorrow morning beginning at 11 a.m. at Tiger Park against Arizona State, who defeated Nebraska 5-2 in the first game of the day on Friday.
For all of the latest news and information on Tiger softball, visit www.lsusports.net/softball. Fans can also follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/lsusoftball along with @lsusoftball and @BethTorina on Twitter and @lsusb on Instagram.