After disappointing losses at Ole Miss this weekend, the LSU softball team returned to Tiger Park with a 5-2 win over Northwestern State.
The Tigers (33-12, 8-7 Southeastern Conference)  also broke a four-game losing streak.
“The word what we really focused on after this weekend was grit,” junior center fielder Emily Griggs said. “So just having gritter at bats and making the gritty plays and [LSU coach Beth Torina] always says ‘if it comes down to it would you catch the ball with your teeth,’ so I think that’s just kind of the mentality we took coming out of this weekend and into tonight’s game.”
Sophomore Sydney Smith earned the win on five strikeouts, one walk and one hit through six innings pitched.
An hour long rain delay in the bottom of the third inning did not stop the Tigers from getting out into an early lead.
Griggs hit a chopper down the left field line in the bottom of the third inning, scoring freshman first baseman Sydney Springfield who was hit by a pitch.
Northwestern pitcher Katelyn Boles then walked three batters in a row. Freshman Amanda Doyle drew a bases loaded walk to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead going into the top of the fourth.
Sophomore Mikayla Brown came in to pitch for the Lady Demons in the bottom of the fourth, however that pitching change did not slow the Tigers on offense.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, senior right fielder Bailey Landry drove a two-run double past the right fielder to put the Tigers up 4-0.
When both freshman Maribeth Gorsuch and freshman Michal Cunningham went into pitch and catch for the Tigers, Northwestern capitalized on the opportunity.
The Lady Demons cut LSU’s lead in half and scored two run in the top of the sixth inning.
With the bases loaded, Torina brought back out sophomore pitcher Sydney Springfield and sophomore catcher Taylor Satchell.
Smith quickly got the last out on a ground ball.
“Those situations are hard to come in but I was just hoping for a ground ball,” Smith said. “Just continued to do what I did in the first innings.”
Senior third baseman Sahvanna Jaquish drove in senior second baseman Constance Quinn on a two-out RBI-single, to give the Tigers an insurance run.
The two-out single broke a slump for Jaquish, who had not had a hit since April 1 against Mississippi State.
“Sahvanna Jaquish is clutch,” Griggs said. “That’s the first word that comes to my mind when I think of her. Whether it’s a 10-0 ball game or a 0-10 ball game, whatever the situation is, Sahvanna Jaquish is going to figure out a way to get something going or figure out a way on base. She’s not afraid to take a walk.”
Smith added: “I think this win was really important for us. Just getting back out on the field and doing what we do best. Just play good defense and hit the ball hard. I think just getting back to the fundamentals after a tough loss and I think that this game is going to give us a confidence boost going into Tennessee.”