ATHENS, Ga. – After a thrilling comeback in game one Friday, the No. 8 LSU softball team got home runs from Sandra Simmons and Kellsi Kloss, while getting a solid performance in the circle from Allie Walljasper in a 5-1 win over No. 10 Georgia to claim the series Saturday at Jack Turner Stadium, while giving head coach Beth Torina her 200th LSU win in the process.
The pair of homers were the only runs for the Tigers (28-8, 5-6 Southeastern) right until the fifth where LSU plated three to pull away from the Bulldogs (30-7, 4-4) for good in the end. LSU finished the day with seven total hits, with three for extra bases.
“I thought it was a well-played game in all areas,” head coach Beth Torina said. “Our offense really showed up today, stuck with a plan and did an overall great job.”
Simmons finished the day 2-for-2, hitting her second home run of the year, driving in one and scoring twice, while Kloss belted her ninth of the season to tie for the team lead.
Constance Quinn drove in two on her only hit of the day late to help ice the game, as she was one of three LSU players to draw two walks in the contest.
Walljasper (5-4) earned the complete-game victory by scattering seven Georgia hits, allowing just one run coming in the bottom of the fourth. She struck out four and walked one, even helping her cause as she earned another hit on Saturday after hitting a home run yesterday.
“Allie did a good job of scattering hits throughout, and not giving up a lot of hits back-to-back,” Torina said. “She made a lot of big pitches in big moments.”
Georgia’s Brittany Gray (9-4) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits with eight walks and 11 strikeouts in the seven-inning affair. Sydni Emanuel led the Bulldogs at the plate going 2-for-4.
With an out already on the board in the first, Simmons drew a 2-2 count and broke through on the fifth pitch, clubbing a high shot to the trees in right to put the Tigers up 1-0. With two outs, Jaquish roped a double off of the wall in right center, but another strikeout ended the inning.
After some scoreless frames, Kloss battled during her second at-bat of the game in the fourth and it paid off, as she launched one into the swirling winds in right center for the team’s second home run of the day to make it 2-0 LSU.
A leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth put a runner in scoring position for the Bulldogs, as another right after drove in a run to make it 2-1. Walljasper and LSU were able to bear down after that, getting the next three batters to go down in order to get out of the frame.
Bailey Landry singled to left to open the LSU fifth, as Simmons drew a walk on four pitches to put two on. A walk to Bianka Bell loaded the bases for the Tigers, as Jaquish lifted one deep to center for the sacrifice fly to score Landry to make it 3-1.
With runners at the corners, Kloss would draw a walk to re-load the bases full of Tigers, proving costly and Quinn hit one down the left field line to bring in two putting LSU up 5-1.
Congratulations to head coach Beth Torina, as she earned her 200th victory as LSU head coach on Saturday! pic.twitter.com/94mxTOHG4J
— LSU Softball (@LSUsoftball) April 2, 2016
Sunday’s finale is set for a 1 p.m. CT first pitch in Athens. The game will be streamed live online on SEC Network+
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