PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The fourth-ranked LSU softball team broke a one-all tie with a four-run fifth to defeat the UCSB Gauchos 5-2 Saturday afternoon at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs.
After having its slim, one-run advantage evaporate in the top half of that same inning, LSU (6-2) came back to plate four on three hits and an error to regain the lead and hold off UCSB (3-6) in the end to pull out the victory.
LSU got production at virtually every part of the lineup, as seven different players earned a hit for LSU on the day, with Bianka Bell, Sandra Simmons and Shemiah Sanchez each having an RBI on the afternoon. Bailey Landry and Sahvanna Jaquish each scored runs and had a hit, while Amber Serrett and Emily Griggs each had hits.
Allie Walljasper (1-2) earned the win as she came on with the score tied and runners on, getting out of the jam by getting the final two outs needed to escape the frame. She finished the game with three strikeouts and an unearned run allowed on two hits, while starter Sydney Smith pitched four innings and allowed just one run on nine hits with four strikeouts. Neither pitcher issued a walk on the day.
The Gauchos batted first and got two consecutive singles to put two runners on to put the pressure on LSU early. A sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third, but put an out on the board, with a strikeout and fly out to center ending the threat with the game still scoreless and Smith and the Tigers getting out of the jam.
In the bottom half of the frame, Griggs got on with a single but was put out at second on a fielder’s choice. A walk to Jaquish put two on, but another fielder’s choice and infield popup put ended LSU’s threat of scoring.
In the bottom of the second, Simmons led off the inning with a single to reach first, moving over to second after a sacrifice bunt. The Tigers got the hit it needed from Sanchez who hit a single to the outfield to score Simmons and put LSU on top 1-0.
LSU looked to start another two-out rally, as Serrett came through with a single up the middle and Sanchez getting on via an error at third base. Unfortunately, a pop up to first ended the threat with the score still 1-0 after four.
The Gauchos finally broke through in the fifth, as a single and stolen base set up the Gauchos got a single to tie the game at 1-1. Another single for UCSB ended Smith’s day, as Walljasper came on in relief and got the first batter to hit into a fielder’s choice and the next into an inning-ending double play.
With one out on the board for LSU in the bottom of the fifth, Landry legged out a high-chopping single to first to reach base. Jaquish followed up with a laced single to left to put two on for the Tigers. Bell came through and hit a single through the right side to score Landry from second to put LSU up 2-1.
With an open base, Kellsi Kloss drew a walk to put three on the bases for the Tigers and Simmons connected on a deep fly to center for the sacrifice fly, scoring Jaquish to put LSU up 3-1. It looked like LSU was going to end the inning with just those two runs, but a bobbled catch on what should have been the third out allowed Bell and Kloss to score to give the Tigers a four-run cushion at 5-1.
UCSB refused to quit, getting a run back in the top of the seventh and putting pressure on the Tigers to close, but LSU was able to shut the door and preserve the victory.
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