Timely hits, or the lack thereof, has doomed the No. 8 LSU softball team in recent weeks.
It has cost the squad at least two games against then-No. 1 Florida, who eventually secured the sweep, and led to the team failing to sweep then-No. 10 Georgia.
Heading into a three-game series with No. 16 Kentucky at Tiger Park, the Tigers (29-12, 5-10 Southeastern Conference) hoped to change this trend.
They didn’t.
Despite an impressive two-hit performance from sophomore pitcher Carley Hoover, LSU fell to the Wildcats (34-8, 11-4 SEC) last night, 2-0, completing the series sweep for Kentucky.
“We ran into a buzz saw,” said LSU hitting coach Howard Dobson. “In 20 years of coaching, I’ve never seen something like this. A stretch of a streak where you can’t get a hit with runners on base … I’ve got to do a better job. That’s what it comes down to. I’m the one that has to start the offense.”
LSU stranded 17 runners throughout the first two contests. In Game 1, Hoover threw a one-hit complete game, but her team’s offensive was not there to help. She struck out 10 batters and walked three, but her offense left nine runners on base and managed five hits.
Sophomore Allie Walljasper entered the circle for the series’ second contest and did not fare much better. Walljasper had a solid showing but could only hold down a potent Kentucky offense for so long.
She allowed only three hits and one run through six innings. In the seventh, the visitors used three singles to plate two more runs. Another eight runners were left on the basepaths, as Walljasper recorded her team-high fifth loss.
“[Hoover and Walljasper] were very good,” said LSU coach Beth Torina. “It’s definitely a positive we’re going to take away from this. That is two of the best games Carley has thrown [in her career]. She was in control at all times.”
In the first two contests, the LSU offense produced only 10 hits and four runs, and it was a combined 0-for-28 with runners on the bases in Games 1 and 2.
In Game 3, Wildcat senior pitcher Kelsey Nunley continued to stifle the LSU lineup. She recorded her 15th win of the year, forcing 18 batters to ground or fly out. The visiting ace walked five batters but surrendered only four hits throughout the game.
“She’s good enough to beat anyone,” said LSU senior catcher Kellsi Kloss. “We are good enough to beat her. We just didn’t do it today.”
In the sixth inning Monday night, LSU squandered its best chance to tie or take the lead.
Torina’s squad used two singles and a walk to load the bases with one out. But junior Constance Quinn grounded into a fielder’s choice and Walljasper, the game’s designated player, struck out to end the frame.
“We expect to score when we get the bases loaded,” said senior third baseman Bianka Bell. “At that point we can’t get down. We didn’t have any runs at all and getting down would definitely just affect us even more.”
The Tigers finished the series finale 1-for-12 — 1-for-40 overall — with runners on base and stranded another eight baserunners. The team was swept at home for the second time this season, which is the first time LSU has been swept by more than one SEC opponent in a three-game home series since 2005.
A quick turnaround awaits LSU as it travels to Hammond on Wednesday for a midweek date with in-state foe Southeastern Louisiana.
“We just need to continue to trust the process and be ourselves,” Torina said. “We need to keep celebrating small successes and build their confidence back up anyway we can.”