After tallying four home runs in five games in the 2015 Tiger Classic, the No.16 LSU softball team’s power hitters shined again in the Tigers’ 8-0 victory against Central Arkansas Friday night.
Three different Tigers hit a home run against Central Arkansas (5-3), scoring all of LSU’s (7-0) eight runs on four homers. Although the power hitting stole the show, sophomore pitcher Baylee Corbello fought through four walks to earn a one-hitter in her third win of the season.
“We got to go out and do the job every night,” said LSU coach Beth Torina. “Honestly, I think we could have done a better job than we did tonight truthfully in the second game. We could have played a better game, but ultimately I’m really happy with the two wins. I’m happy to be in the spot we are, and we’ll just keep building.”
After leading LSU with 17 home runs in 2014 and struggling through LSU’s first six games of the season, sophomore third baseman Sahvanna Jaquish came alive against the Bears, hitting two 3-run homers.
In the bottom of the first, Jaquish came to the plate with two runners on and one out after sophomore right fielder Bailey Landry and junior shortstop Bianka Bell both singled up the middle.
On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, Jaquish hit her first home run of the season over the left field wall and drove in two runs.
“I know she’s been frustrated and trying so hard and wanting to do so many things, so it was nice to see her come out of it,” Torina said. “Hopefully, she build on it and get some confidence from it. She’s really a confident player, so when she starts to second-guess herself, I think it just makes her frustrated.”
In the fifth inning, junior catcher Kellsi Kloss joined the 2015 home run club with lead-off solo-shot off the Bears’ sophomore pitcher Kayla Gomness, who took over in the fourth inning for starter junior Shivaun Landeros, to extend the Tigers’ lead to 4-0.
In the bottom of the sixth, Jaquish and senior utility player Kailey McCasland closed the game with back-to-back home runs.
After hitting her first homer of the season in the first inning, Jaquish came to the plate with freshman left fielder Emily Griggs at third and Landry at second and two outs. For the second time against the Bears, Jaquish drove in three runs and extended LSU’s lead to 7-0.
McCasland stepped up to her first at-bat in 2015 as a pinch hitter for Kloss. After swinging at the first pitch, she ripped one to the right field fence and used her speed to turn a would-be triple into a inside the park home run.
“[Gomness] was throwing a lot of in and out,” McCasland said. “I wanted to get an outside pitch. I hit outside [pitches] well. Coach Dobson just said, ‘Just a pick a half [of the plate].’ I did and it worked out.”
While the Tigers lit up the scoreboard, Corbello held a no-hitter until the fifth inning when junior third baseman Sam Forrest ripped a single up the middle.
Despite giving up only one hit, Corbello’s problem with walks from last season returned in the fourth inning when she walked the bases loaded.
Corbello only gave up a combined two walks in her first two starts, but allowed four against Central Arkansas alone.
“It was good pitch calling and everything,” Corbello said. “I just didn’t do my job executing the pitches. I just tried to pitch around batters more tonight rather than just trusting my preparation. I try to focus on the details more in practice and that should help.”
LSU continues the 2015 Tiger Invitational on Saturday against No. 20 Notre Dame at 3 p.m and Hofstra at 5:30 p.m. in Tiger Park.