After suffering a 1-0 loss to Arizona State in the winner’s bracket Saturday afternoon, the No. 8 LSU softball extended its season with a 3-2 extra-inning victory against Nebraska in an elimination game Saturday night in the Baton Rouge Regional.
With the win, LSU (46-12) eliminated Nebraska (35-23) and set up a rematch against Arizona State in the regional final at noon Sunday in Tiger Park.
Despite growing frustration at their lineup’s inability to produce runs, the Tigers battled at the plate and eventually rallied in the 10th inning to secure the victory behind a gem in the circle from freshman pitcher Allie Walljasper (14-5).
“My team fought really hard,” said LSU coach Beth Torina. “We were finally able step up and get some big hits at the right time because we got a fantastic performance on the mound … Hopefully, we can roll that into tomorrow and just continue to have good pitching but a little more confidence at the plate.”
After allowing no walks and recording six strikeouts in her first matchup against the Huskers (35-23) on Feb. 21, Walljasper continued to shine against Nebraska’s lineup in her longest career outing (9 and 1/3 innings).
Walljasper allowed just two runs on nine hits while tallying three strikeouts to only one walk. Walljasper’s success at holding a lineup that featured four hitters with at least 40 RBIs and five hitters with five or more homers this season to only two runs hinged on the play of her defense.
LSU recorded 13 force outs and 10 ground outs, including two double plays to get Walljasper out of the second and fourth innings.
“I had great defense behind me the whole time,” Walljasper said. ”I couldn’t have done it without all of my teammates. We are called the power of one for a reason. I couldn’t have done it without the 20 other girls behind me. It was very exciting to be around them.”
While Walljasper stalled the Huskers’ lineup with her dominance in the circle, the Tigers struggled to create and convert opportunities at the plate.
Although LSU scored 15 runs in the first two innings of regional play against Texas Southern, the Tigers sunk into scoring drought through the next 12 innings that they snapped driving in a run in the top of the fourth inning.
After junior shortstop Bianka Bell reached on a fielding error to lead off the inning, junior first baseman Sandra Simmons drove in Bell with a single to left field.
But, LSU’s moment on top did not last long.
In the bottom of the fourth, Nebraska rebounded by knotting the game at 1-1. Walljasper allowed back-to-back hits to open the frame, and then junior shortstop Alicia Armstrong drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Both pitchers settled into a groove after the fourth inning and recorded three straight shutout innings, pushing the game into extra innings.  
After two more scoreless innings, LSU broke the game open in the top of the 10th by scoring two runs on two hits and taking a 3-1 lead.
Sophomore right fielder Bailey Landry started the rally by drawing a four-pitch walks. Bell pumped up the crowd by reaching on a fielder’s choice.
Kloss drove in Landry with a single to right field, and sophomore third baseman Sahvanna Jaquish capped off the Tigers’ scoring with a RBI single to left field.
“Every hit in that inning was huge, but especially for Sahvanna,” Torina said. “She is really working through some things. She wants this as much as anybody. It’s important for her to have some success here to be able to build on that for tomorrow.”
Despite the Huskers cutting LSU’s lead to one run in the bottom of the 10th, Tigers kept Nebraska’s lineup at bay by bringing in freshman reliever Carley Hoover to record the last two outs.
After Walljasper allowed two singles and a runner reach on a fielder’s choice, freshman second baseman Laura Barrow drove in a run with a single to left field and Torina pulled Walljasper in favor of Hoover.
Hoover recorded the last two outs with a pop out and fly out, accordingly.
The Tigers head into Day 3 of the regional determined to play each individual pitch to their best potential.
“We’re not even taking it one game at a time,” Kloss said. “We are taking it one pitch at a time, one inning at time. We can’t look ahead to anything. The most important pitch is the next one, so that’s what we are focused on.”