Yet another LSU versus Alabama grudge match lived up to its billing.
The No. 12 LSU softball team battled No. 4 Alabama into extra innings on Thursday, finally prevailing, 3-2, in the bottom of the eighth inning on a walk-off RBI single from freshman first baseman Sandra Simmons.
LSU (38-11, 13-6 Southeastern Conference) seemed to have a firm grip on the victory in the top of the seventh inning when senior pitcher Rachele Fico had Alabama (40-8, 12-7 SEC) down to its last out.
Alabama trailed 2-0 at the time, and Fico had only allowed two hits. Needing only one more out to secure the win, Fico allowed two consecutive Alabama hits, hit a batter, and walked two more hitters, allowing the Crimson Tide to tie the game at 2-2.
Fico got out of the seventh, only to fall into another bases-loaded jam in the top of the eighth. But Fico came through with her second strikeout of the game and forced Alabama into two more harmless outs, which gave Simmons the opportunity to notch the win in the bottom half of the inning.
“My team had my back tonight, big time,” Fico said. “… We really came up big with this win tonight. It was an awesome team effort.”
Fico battled Alabama ace Jackie Traina, who matched Fico well except for one pitch to LSU freshman designated player Kellsi Kloss, which resulted in a two-run home run that gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning.
Both Traina and Fico pitched the entire game, despite going into extra innings. Traina took the loss for only her sixth defeat of the season, and Fico notched her 23rd win of the season, despite the rocky finish.
Junior outfielder Simone Heyward started what turned out to be LSU’s victorious eighth inning, slapping an infield hit to Alabama shortstop Danae Hays.
After sophomore outfielder A.J. Andrews walked and junior utility player Jacee Blades hit into a fielder’s choice, Alabama elected to walk freshman shortstop Bianka Bell to load the bases with one out.
Traina forced LSU junior infielder Allison Falcon to pop out for the second out of the inning, but Simmons came through with the two-out walk-off single that slipped into left field and scored Heyward from third.
“I was seeing [Traina] well all night, and I knew it was my chance to end this game,” Simmons said. “We wanted to be done with it.”
LSU and Alabama return for game two of the series on Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. at Tiger Park.
Meghan Patterson figures to be LSU’s starter, and she’ll square off with Alabama No. 2 pitcher Leslie Jury, who leads the Crimson Tide with a 1.91 ERA.
“This gives us room to breathe a little bit,” Simmons said. “Even though we got that one game, we’re not done. We still need to come out hard on Friday and Saturday and get those wins.”
