Despite all the power in both the Tigers and Sooners’ lineups, a pair of freshman pitchers stole the show in the No. 1 LSU softball team’s 1-0 victory against No. 6 Oklahoma in Game 1 of a two-game series at Tiger Park on Friday night.
LSU freshman Carley Hoover (8-1) and Oklahoma freshman pitcher Paige Parker (10-3) allowed a combined four hits on the night. Hoover and Parker both shut down offenses that feature a dynamic duo of power hitters.
In front of a season-high crowd, Hoover and the Tigers’ (29-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) defense grinded out a game for the first time all season.
“It was really interesting that our team showed they have this capability,” said LSU coach Beth Torina. “Every single game for the entire year, we’ve had a big inning of three-plus runs. This is the first game that we have really pitched and played great defense…It’s nice to see us win in a lot of different ways.”
The Tigers proved they can win without their potent offense. Friday’s win marked the first game this season in which LSU didn’t score at least three runs and only the third victory decided by one run throughout 2015.
From the first inning, Hoover awed the fans and Oklahoma’s (24-4) lineup with her power pitching. Although she recorded the first of four three-up, three-down innings in the first, Hoover’s excitement to pitch in front of the electric crowd got the better of her.
“It was funny after the first inning, I pretty much missed almost every spot that inning,” Hoover said. “But it’s okay, sometimes things happen and [Torina] said, ‘Get better,’ so I was trying to get better in every inning. That’s what seemed to happen tonight, and my defense really picked me up a lot today, too.”
Hoover settled into a pitchers’ duel with Parker after the first inning by shutting down one of the most prolific power-hitting lineups in the country, which features senior first baseman Lauren Chamberlain and senior shortstop Shelby Pendley.
Chamberlain and Pendley came into the series slugging 1.212 and 1.045, respectively. The senior infielders have combined for a total of 25 homers in 2015, but both were unable to establish any rhythm against Hoover.
Chamberlain and Pendley went 0-6 against Hoover on the night.
“Just to be able to be on the same field as the players that I was playing against tonight is pretty incredible,” Hoover said. “They’re amazing players.”
While Hoover shut down Chamberlain and Pendley, Parker returned the favor by silencing the Tigers’ duo of junior shortstop Bianka Bell and sophomore third baseman Sahvanna Jaquish through five innings.
Coming into the series, Bell lead the Tigers with a .565 average and a 1.011 slugging percentage. In Bell’s first two at-bats, she fouled out and struck out looking.
Jaquish went 0-3 on the night against Parker, recording a swinging strikeout.
Despite Parker’s success against LSU’s lineup, the momentum swung in the bottom of the sixth inning when Bell took advantage of a misplaced pitch by Parker and drove in the only run of the game with a solo home run to center field.
“I was just thinking ‘Stay relaxed and don’t let her get you out on the same pitch twice,’” Bell said. “Just come up with a hit and find my way on base.”
Game 2 tomorrow has been moved up to 4 p.m. Saturday due to anticipated inclement weather.
You can reach Morgan Prewitt on Twitter @kmprewitt_TDR.