BATON ROUGE, La. – Looking to keep its solid streak going, the LSU softball team produced eight runs on nine hits, backed by two home runs from Sahvanna Jaquish, while getting a one-hitter from starting pitcher Carley Hoover to defeat the Liberty Lady Flames 8-0 in five innings Saturday in the first game for the team on day two of the LSU Invitational.
LSU (17-2) got offense throughout the order, paced by Jaquish, Serrett and Constance Quinn as the trio each finished with multiple hits in the contest. Serrett finished the day hitting 3-for-3 with an RBI and run scored, while Quinn was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, stolen base and two runs scored.
Jaquish earned her first multi-home run game of the season, both on solo shots, as she now has seven on the season. She had two of LSU’s four extra-base hits in the game, as Quinn and Kellsi Kloss both had doubles.
Hoover (6-0) kept her record spotless and kept the Lady Flames (8-11) off the bases as not only did she hold Liberty off the bases and only allowed one hit, she struck out 10 with 50 of her 73 pitches going for strikes.
Chase Cassady (4-5) suffered the loss for Liberty, allowing five runs on five hits with four walks in 2.1 innings of work. Alexia Taylor had the only hit for the Lady Flames in the game.
Quinn opened the first with the game’s first hit, ripping a single up the middle to reach first base. Emily Griggs put down a sacrifice bunt to advance her to second, as a walk to Bianka Bell put two on for LSU. A fly ball to center allowed Quinn to tag up, scoring on the next play as Serrett drilled a single to first to make it 1-0 LSU.
In the second inning, three straight walks loaded the bases for the Tigers with only one out on the board. Griggs hit a high chopper that nearly got through, and although it forced out a runner at second, a run still crossed as the Tigers took a 2-0 lead.
LSU increased its lead with one swing of the bat, as Jaquish belted one deep to the Tiger Park Terrace in left for the home run to make it 3-0 LSU. Serrett caught the defense completely off guard and earned a bunt single to reach, as Bailey Landry connected for the sacrifice bunt to advance her to second.
Kloss laced a double to right center to plate Serrett to put LSU on top 4-0 at that point. After a Liberty pitching change, Hoover drew a walk to put two on and was followed by Sandra Simmons who ripped a single up the middle to score Kloss and put LSU up 5-0.
Jaquish wasn’t done with the fireworks, as in the bottom of the fourth she came back and waited for her pitch before launching her second solo shot of the day to make it 6-0 LSU.
Simmons drew a walk to put one on for LSU in the bottom of the fifth, advancing to second after a wild pitch. It set up Quinn to come through as she hit a double to right to drive in Simmons to put the squad up 7-0. Quinn caught the defense napping and stole third, as Griggs earned a walk to put runners at the corners. On the very next play, Bell hit a grounder to third, and after a brief hesitation the throw was made to try and nab Quinn at home and failed, bringing in the winning run to give LSU the win 8-0.
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