The No. 1 LSU softball team used three home runs to defeat No. 11 Tennessee, 5-1, in the series opener Friday evening in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Tigers (37-4, 10-3 Southeastern Conference) relied on their power hitters to put away the Volunteers (29-10, 7-6 SEC), scoring all five runs courtesy of the long ball.
In the top of the first inning, sophomore right fielder Bailey Landry singled, and junior shortstop Bianka Bell drew a walk. Sophomore third baseman Sahvanna Jaquish followed with a three-run home run to left field to give LSU a 3-0 lead.
Tennessee struck back in the bottom of the second. A walk, a single and a double helped the Volunteers cut the Tigers’ lead to 3-1 but it was the only run they scored on the evening.
In the top of the third inning, Jaquish unleashed her 16th home run of the season, a solo shot to center field. Junior catcher Kellsi Kloss hit her seventh home run of the season in the following at-bat.
The back-to-back home runs stretched LSU’s lead to 5-1.
Freshman pitcher Carley Hoover (11-2) kept LSU’s lead safe. She scattered seven hits across seven innings of work and finished with 12 strikeouts.
LSU and Tennessee play Game 2 at 4 p.m. Saturday.