After No. 15 Missouri run-ruled the Tigers for the first time in 2015 in Game 2 on Sunday, the No. 3 LSU softball team avenged the loss with a 9-0, mercy-rule victory of its own in five innings in Game 3 on Monday night.
With their 17th win by mercy rule this season, LSU (42-9, 14-7 Southeastern Conference) avoided a sweep by Missouri (36-10, 14-7 SEC) and ended its longest losing streak of the season at three games.
“You never want to lose, but it’s a good lesson for us and understanding the mentality we have to show up with,” said LSU coach Beth Torina.”They saw how they were a different team today, and hopefully they have an understanding of how they get to that point.”
Despite producing only four runs and stranding 16 runners on-base in the first two games, LSU’s lineup returned to its trademark big innings in Game 3 by stringing together hits and taking advantage of mistakes by Missouri’s freshman pitcher Paige Lowary (16-4).
Although LSU left two runners on-base in the top of the second inning, it caught fire in third, scoring five runs on three hits.
Senior center fielder A.J. Andrews started the rally with a double and then scored on a RBI single by sophomore right fielder Bailey Landry, her 38th RBI this season. After junior shortstop Bianka Bell got plunked and sophomore infielder Sahvanna Jaquish walked, junior catcher Kellsi Kloss drove in Landry with a sacrifice fly, extending LSU’s lead to 2-0.
Junior first baseman Sandra Simmons stepped to the plate with two runners on and two outs. Simmons took Lowary the distance on the fourth pitch of the at-bat, capping off the Tigers’ explosive third inning with her third homer of 2015.
“She’s been working really hard,” Torina said. “She’s been putting in a lot of time. We’ve seen her swinging better and better in practice all the time. For our staff, we had a feeling this was [coming].”
LSU kept rolling in the fifth, starting with the first pitch, and drove in four more insurance runs.
Bell led off with her 15th home run of the season on Lowary’s first pitch of the at-bat.
Following Bell’s long ball, senior designated player Dylan Supak drove in two runs with a double, and freshman left fielder Emily Griggs capped the Tigers’ scoring with an RBI single.
Freshman pitcher Carley Hoover (13-3) dominated in the circle, shutting down a Missouri lineup that had scored 17 runs in the first two games.
Hoover finished her ninth complete game of the season with four strikeouts and only one walk.
“She threw really well,” Torina said. “She did some things a little differently tonight, worked in some different pitches was able play from ahead in he count…She did a really good job. “
LSU hopes to carry its momentum into the last midweek contest of season against Southeastern Louisiana at 6 p.m Wednesday at Tiger Park.
“It felt a little different to everyone on our team,” Torina said. “A.J. Andrews pointed that out after the game…It felt like we had worked really hard for it. It felt like there was a different effort there. Hopefully we can take this win and keep rolling with it.”