As a new season began, the LSU softball team failed to get started in winning fashion, as it dropped its home opener to No. 10 Texas in Tiger Park.
As a team with its eyes set on the road to the Women’s College World Series, it learned there will be a few bumps along the way.
LSU never got its offense going, and senior pitcher Ashley Czechner struggled in the later innings as LSU (0-1) lost to Texas (1-0), 6-1, in its first game of the season Thursday night.
“[This should be expected from] any team we are going to be facing this year, so we can’t take anybody lightly,” said sophomore infielder Bianka Bell. “They came out swinging, they came out doing what they’re supposed to do. We just have to come back tomorrow and the next few games and bring it our all.”
The game marked the biggest loss LSU has suffered in a home opener since Tiger Park opened in 2009.
The decisive inning came during the top of the fifth, when the Longhorns were able to score four runs through a combination of small ball and power hitting. Three singles gave Texas its first run of the inning, and then senior shortstop Taylor Thom broke the game open with a three-run home run to left field.
Czechner credited the Longhorns hitting, and she admitted she let a few pitches get away from her in the inning.
Texas began the scoring in the third inning when Longhorn senior centerfielder Brejae Washington brought in senior catcher Mandy Ogle with a sacrifice fly after Ogle led the inning off with a double. The Tigers fought back in the bottom of the inning, as a triple from sophomore infielder Sandra Simmons and an RBI single from senior infielder Allison Falcon tied the game.
That was all LSU could muster as Longhorns pitcher Gabby Smith shut down the Tigers’ batters, allowing just one hit for the remaining four innings. Smith went the full seven innings, allowing just three hits, two walks and striking out two.
Bell said Smith did a good job of changing things up on LSU the entire game.
“She was mixing it up, up and down and some off-speed,” Bell said. “I think we were thinking a little too much in the box, and she just had us fooled. She did a great job with that.”
The lone bright spot for the Tigers came from freshman pitcher Kelsee Selman, who allowed no runs after replacing Czechner with no outs in the sixth inning. Coach Beth Torina said she was impressed by the way Selman handled herself in her first career appearance.
The Tigers will take to the field again Friday with a doubleheader against Minnesota and SIU-Edwardsville. Torina said they need to take this opening loss as a lesson and move forward with their season.
“I think everything we do is a learning experience,” Torina Said. “We learn from our wins, and we learn from our losses. So we’re definitely going to fix some things we saw and continue on.”

Gallery • 6 Photos

Charles Champagne

LSU freshman pitcher Kelsee Selman attempts to stop the Lady Longhorns Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014 during the 6-1 loss against Texas at Tiger Park.