Entering Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup against No. 11 Kentucky, LSU’s softball team had not won its second game in the Southeastern Conference Tournament since 2010.
That’s no longer the case.
The No. 12 Tigers (44-14) defeated the Wildcats (43-12) 3-1 and eliminated the No. 2 seed from the annual league tourney in Starkville, Mississippi.
“It feels good to get them at this point [of the season],” said LSU coach Beth Torina in a interview with SEC Network. “A win against them is huge for us.”
LSU entered the contest 0-3 against Kentucky this season, after being swept earlier this season at Tiger Park. During those contest, the Tigers outhit the Wildcats 14-to-9, but were outscored 6-0 and went 1-for-40 with runners on base throughout the three-game set.
Through four innings it appeared the trend would continue. LSU batters were 0-for-4 with runners on the bases entering the fifth.
In the fifth frame, freshman shortstop Amber Serrett singled to right field to put another baserunner on. Sophomore Emily Griggs followed with another single for only the second hit with runners on against the Wildcats this season. Senior left fielder Sandra Simmons added a third.
After a ball and a swing and a miss, Simmons’ count stood at 1-1. The senior swung on the third pitch and sent the ball over the right field wall for a three-RBI home run – the first runs the Tigers scored against Kentucky this season.
“She’s worked hard for everything she’s gotten this year,” Torina told the SEC Network. “The kid never takes a day off.”
LSU sophomore hurler Carley Hoover had no trouble stifling the Wildcat lineup in the regular season series allowing three hits and three runs in 14 innings. She picked up where she left off, giving up only three hits and one run.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better performance from her,” Simmons said in an interview with the SEC Network.
Kentucky plated their lone run in the seventh, which proved to be nothing more than a consolation run.
The Tigers advance to the SEC semifinals against No. 3 seed Tennessee. The No. 10 Volunteers defeated South Carolina, 5-1, Thursday afternoon.
First pitch for the semi-final matchup is set for 2 p.m. LSU and Tennessee did not play this season, but were eliminated by the Volunteers a season ago in the 2015 SEC tournament.
“We’ll try and figure them out,” Torina told SEC Network. “Last time we saw them was in this tournament last year and they got the best of us. So, hopefully we can turn the tables there too.”
