BATON ROUGE, La. – The No. 3 LSU softball team earned a 13-2 win over the Connecticut Huskies, while closing the day falling to the Pacific Tigers 2-1 in a split of the day’s action on day two of the 2016 Tiger Classic Saturday afternoon in Baton Rouge.
While LSU (3-1) was able to earn its third-straight run-rule victory earlier in the day, the Tigers were stifled offensively in the night game in being held to just a single run on five hits, while committing three errors. Pacific scored a run in the first and again in the fourth, as LSU was just able to plate a run in the fourth to pull within one.
“I think we’re still trying to understand our personnel and how best to use them. I think having a deep roster is a rally nice benefit to a coach,” head coach Beth Torina said. “We got into some situations there where we really had to manage the lineup differently than how I had done it in the past and I think that’s something that we have to improve upon from my standpoint. I think the team has plenty of things that they need to improve upon as well. I think as a staff we can be better too. As we get into the season we understand our personnel better.”
After driving in six in the first game of the day, Sahvanna Jaquish had another solid game going 2-for-3 with a walk, while freshman Shemiah Sanchez drove in the only run as she went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk.
“Give them credit, they did a great job and their pitcher did a great job of just mixing it up on the plate and we didn’t make the adjustments soon enough,” Jaquish said.
Allie Walljsasper (0-1) earned the start and suffered the loss, allowing two unearned runs on eight hits with two strikeouts in six innings of work. Carley Hoover came on in relief and pitched the final inning and struck out all three batters she faced.
“We can’t look back. We have to capitalize on what we did well in this game and just move forward from here and focus on the next one,” Walljasper said. “We have to clean up some things but I have no doubt in my team doing that.”
The visitors wasted little time in trying to silence the Tiger Park crowd, getting a single to open the game. An error didn’t help matters for LSU, as after a strikeout, a ground-rule double to left center plated a run to make it 1-0 Pacific.
LSU looked like it was going to strike back in the bottom half of the inning, as after a walk to Bailey Landry, Emily Griggs legged out a single to put two on for LSU. A single to short center loaded the bases, but the team would come up fruitless after a double play forced out a run at home, as after another walk to re-load the bases a grounder to the circle ended the inning.
Pacific scored again in the fourth, as with two outs on the board an error put a runner on, with an infield single putting two on. A single to the short porch in right was fielded and the throw in was hit at the plate allowing a run to score to make it 2-0 Pacific.
In the bottom of that same inning, Sandra Simmons drew a walk to reach first with one out on the board. A single through the right side by Walljasper put two Tigers on, with Taylor Satchell coming in to pinch run at first for Walljasper. After a strikeout, Sanchez connected for a single to center to score Simmons, with runners now at second and third. Unfortunately, a grounder to second ended the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Griggs drew a walk to reach base, and made it all to way to third after a deep fly for the second out after tagging up, but was left stranded after a grounder to third ended the frame.
After Pacific nearly threatened to plate another run in the top of the sixth, LSU came back in the next frame and got a walk to Walljasper as Akiya Thymes came on to run at first. She moved to second after a grounder for the second out, but a walk to Sanchez put two on. It looked like LSU was starting to build some momentum and try and claw back, but an infield grounder ended the inning with the 2-1 score intact.
Hoover came on in relief and struck out the side in order to give LSU a chance to try and win the game in the bottom of the seventh, and after a grounder Jaquish singled up the middle to reach first. She moved to second after a wild pitch to get into scoring position, but after a groundout, Kellsi Kloss drew a walk to put two on. Unfortunately for LSU, a grounder to short ended the game.
“I think that’s the one positive we can take out of this, is that not only we get another game tomorrow, but get another game tomorrow against (Pacific),” Torina said. “We can prove to ourselves and where we stand with them first thing in the morning as soon as we get going and hopefully we can show up the way we want to show up. Our kids have a nice opportunity to prove whatever they want to prove.”
LSU will be back in action on Sunday, closing out play in the Tiger Classic against Pacific at 11:30 a.m. in Tiger Park.