BATON ROUGE, La. – In the bottom of the sixth inning, and down two runs, the No. 5 LSU softball team dug deep when it mattered most, scoring five runs in the frame and seven unanswered over the fifth and sixth to cap a wild comeback and defeat the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters 9-6 Saturday night on day two of the LSU Invitational.
With just three hits to their credit through four innings, the Tigers (18-2) earned the victory by producing seven of their 10 total hits on the night in the thrilling fifth and sixth, capitalizing on a bases loaded opportunity where the squad finished the night 2-for-2 with the bases juiced and 4-for-5 with runners on third base.
While the offense produced the heroics late, the team was boosted by the relief efforts of Carley Hoover (7-0) who came on in a bases-loaded spot and got a pair of strikeouts and finished with nine by the end of the night to earn the victory and allowed just a single hit and walk during that time. It was her second win of the day, as she finished with 19 total strikeouts in 8.2 innings of work.
“She’s just phenomenal in those situations,” head coach Beth Torina said. “I think she gets outside of herself and she loves to compete, so when she goes out there and competes she’s pretty much unbeatable.”
Sydney Smith earned the start in the circle and pitched three innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits with four strikeouts, while Baylee Corbello came on in relief and pitched a third of an inning, allowing three runs, two earned, on two hits with two walks.
Seven different LSU players earned hits, none bigger than Kellsi Kloss‘ 3-RBI double in that inning to help give LSU enough of a cushion over the visitors to earn the win, as she was one of three players with multiple hits. Kloss was 2-for-4, while Bailey Landry was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a stolen base and Constance Quinn going 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
“We stayed calm the whole time and never panicked, and with our lineup it’s really about who’s going to do it and not if someone is going to do it,” Kloss said. “It’s someone different every time which is really cool.”
Sahvanna Jaquish drove in two and scored twice in her time at the plate, while Sandra Simmons, Emily Griggs and Amber Serrett had a hit each.
Carolina Sanchez (2-1) suffered the loss for Louisiana Tech (15-5) after coming on in relief of starter Bailey Allen and allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work. Preslee Gallaway got the final out of the fifth, coming on in the bases-loaded jam and allowed two runs on two hits with two walks.
Anna Cross, Pauline Tufi and Karlee Jensen each had two hits for the Lady Techsters, as Tufi was the only player to drive in multiple runs with two on the night.
After a pair of scoreless frames, Louisiana Tech earned three consecutive hits to load the bases to ratchet up the pressure on the home side. LSU was able to get an out, but an infield single and an error plated three runs to put the Lady Techsters up 3-0. LSU won the side back getting a force out and a strikeout to end the inning without further damage.
Simmons was hit by pitch in the first at-bat of the bottom half of the third to reach first, as Quinn singled to center to put two on. A throwing error loaded the bases for LSU in the first bit of pressure for the visitors in the contest. A deep fly by Bianka Bell to left brought in a run, as Quinn slid under the tag on a Jaquish fielder’s choice to bring LSU within one at 3-2, as the inning ended with a put out at home and grounder.
Corbello came in to pitch for LSU in the fourth and the Tigers would be done in again by an error as after two walks a single brought in a run to make it 4-2, as a dropped fly ball in right allowed two to score making it 6-2 and ending Corbello’s day as Hoover came on and got two strikeouts to end the inning.
After holding the Lady Techsters off of the board, Griggs reached after an error at second base and stole second. After a strikeout, Jaquish ripped a double to left to score Griggs and pull LSU within three at 6-3. Serrett singled down the line to put runners at the corners, as Landry hit a single through the right side to plate Jaquish to make it 6-4.
“This game is a lot about momentum, and when (Hoover) took the momentum back for us we had a lot of confidence in our bats,” Jaquish said.
Simmons singled to left to give LSU new life in the bottom of the sixth, although a fielder’s choice forced her out at second to put an out on the board. Griggs legged out an infield single to put two on, as another fielder’s choice forced out a runner with two Tigers now on first and third and one out left in the frame.
Jaquish was intentionally walked to load the bases, as Louisiana Tech made its final pitching change of the night. The move paid dividends right away as Serrett drew a walk to pull LSU once again within one at 6-5. With a 1-2 count, Landry beat out the throw on an infield single to short to score a pinch-running Taylor Lockwood to tie the game at 6-6. It set the table for Kloss who put LSU up three at 9-6 heading to the final frame.
Hoover wasted no time in closing the game out, getting the final three batters to go down in order to preserve the win and push the team’s winning streak to 14.
“When you’re in a relief role you have to come in and stop the bleeding and that’s my chance to bring something new to the game,” Hoover said. “We all met together in the middle and decided we were going to change things right then and there.”
LSU will close out the LSU invitational on Sunday afternoon, taking on the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at 12 p.m. at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge.
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.