After demolishing Ohio State 9-0 in five innings, the No. 3 LSU softball team secured its second straight run-rule victory against the University of North Florida (0-2) in its second game of Friday’s doubleheader in the Tiger Classic.
The Tigers (2-0) scored nine runs on just six hits to trounce the Ospreys, 9-0, in five innings.
Although senior infielder Jenna Kreamer didn’t start in the Tigers’ opener against the Buckeyes (1-1), fifth-year coach Beth Torina gave her the nod against UN and it paid off.
Kreamer’s first at-bat came in the second inning after the Ospreys’ starting senior pitcher Janet Snipe loaded the bases with a walk. She proceeded to send Snipe’s pitch into the Tiger Park Terrace, formerly known as the berm, to give LSU a 4-0 lead.
“It felt great,” Kreamer . “Trusting our plan and I just saw a good pitch and took advantage of it.
The grand slam gave the Tigers the momentum and a lead they would never relinquish.
LSU continued to showcase its offensive firepower, adding three runs in the third and two more in the fourth to induce the 8-run mercy-rule.
Freshman pitcher Sydney Smith got her first career start in the circle for LSU and took advantage.
The Maple Grove, Minnesota native notched eight strikeouts and just one hit while shutting out North Florida’s lineup.
“It was really fun going out there and competing,” Smith said. “I just really trusted in my coach’s calling and just trusted the process… I really mixed around a lot of different pitches.”
Although she had some first game jitters, the freshman said her main goal is to continue to improve, which now includes an aim to be more confident in the circle going forward.
Smith was not the only freshman to make her debut for the Tigers. Freshmen infielders Amber Serrett and Shemiah Sanchez both got playing time on Friday.
Serrett only saw action in right field against the Buckeyes but still earned huge praise from her coach.
“Amber Serrett is special,” Torina said. “She was a huge get for us when we signed her. She is actually the shortstop of the future of this program is what she is.”
Sanchez played in both games finishing with a .667 batting average.
Snipe’s pitching performance did not help the Ospreys’ cause. She earned eight of the Tigers’ nine runs and walked four batters.
The senior’s command failed her at the most inopportune times.
She walked the bases loaded ahead of Kreamer’s grand slam with multiple wild pitches to put LSU runners into scoring position.
As the Tigers head into another doubleheader against the University of Connecticut (1-1) at 5 p.m. and Pacific (1-1) at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in Tiger Park, Torina reflected the atmosphere of opening night.
“I can’t remember having an opening day like this since I’ve been the coach [at LSU],” Torina said. “It was a lot of fun and really exciting.”
You can reach Marc Stevens on Twitter @Marc_TDR