PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – In a see-saw battle between two ranked foes, the fourth-ranked LSU softball team showed its resiliency by battling back from two deficits to rally and defeat the No. 15 UCF Knights 6-5 Saturday in Palm Springs to sweep a day of opponents in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
Trailing after the first inning, and again after the after the second, the Tigers (7-2) got the hits it needed in key moments, while holding UCF (4-6) at bay with solid pitching in spots late to pull out the win over the Knights to move to 2-0 on the day.
Junior infielder Constance Quinn led the team going 3-for-3 with an RBI and run scored, while Bianka Bell with 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Six different LSU players registered hits in the game, with Emily Griggs hitting a triple and scoring a run, Bailey Landry driving one in and scoring one and Kellsi Kloss and Elyse Thornhill having one each.
Carley Hoover (3-0) earned the win, pitching four innings and allowing two earned runs in the victory, striking out five and allowing six hits. For the second time on the day, however, fellow sophomore Allie Walljasper came into a crucial situation and thrived, pitching the final three innings and earning the save after striking out four and allowing just one hit to help secure the win.
The Knights scored with one swing of the bat in the opening frame, getting a solo home run to left field to take a 1-0 lead.
LSU was undeterred, as Griggs opened the bottom half of that same inning with a leadoff triple to left center to open the Tiger first. On the very next play, Landry ripped a single through the right side to knot the game at 1-1. Landry moved to second after a passed ball, leaving the base open for Sahvanna Jaquish who drew a walk to take first.
Deep into the count, Bell reared back and ripped one up the middle, scoring Landry from second to give LSU the lead at 2-1. After a force out at third from a diving stop for the first out, Quinn got a 3-1 count and UCF made a pitching change mid-batter, but it made little difference as she earned a walk to load the bases. After a strikeout, Hoover drew a walk to bring in Bell to make it 3-1.
UCF came back in the top of the second and plated four runs of their own earning two hits, while also having two LSU errors to regain the lead and go on top 5-3.
In the bottom of the third, Quinn opened the frame with a single through the right side to reach first. Thornhill reached on a bunt single to put two on, as the pitcher Hoover put down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third. Simmons hit a sky-high shot to left, with the fielder making the catch after slipping, allowing a run to score on the sac fly to pull LSU within one run at 5-4.
After a strikeout to open the bottom of the fourth, Jaquish drew a walk and was followed by consecutive singles by Bell and Kloss to load the bases for the Tigers. With Quinn at the plate, a failed pickoff attempt at first allowed Jaquish to score as Bell moved up to third on the play. Quinn raked one through the left side and scored the LSU shortstop to give LSU the lead back at 6-5.
A walk and single in the top of the fifth ended Hoover’s action in the game, giving way to Walljasper who came in a tough spot and was looking to get out of the inning. After a sacrifice bunt that advanced the runners up a base, she came back to get back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat and maintain the lead.
An infield single for UCF would be the final hit for the opposition in the game, as it came with two outs on the board before a grounder to third ended the game, sending LSU to the win.