LSU Takes Game 1 of Super Regional, 6-1
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Allison
Falcon delivered a 2-for-3 performance and matched a career-high three
RBIs as the LSU softball team knocked off No. 9 national seed Missouri
by a 6-1 margin Saturday during the opening game of the NCAA Columbia
Super Regional in-front of 2,253 fans at University Field.
LSU
(38-22) won its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament game and moved
within one victory of making the program’s third appearance at the
Women’s College World Series. It also marked LSU’s first NCAA Super
Regional victory since the 2006 season. LSU’s offense
racked up six runs and nine hits, the most runs for the Tigers since a
6-1 victory over Nicholls State back on April 4.
A.J. Andrews
also matched a career-high with two hits from the leadoff spot, while
Morgan Russell matched a season-high with two RBIs.
Rachele
Fico went the distance for LSU in the circle and improved to 19-11 on
the season. The junior right-hander sprayed eight hits and surrendered
only one run to the high-octane Missouri offense. She recorded five
strikeouts versus two walks to garner her third postseason win for the
season.
The two teams will meet Sunday at 2:30 p.m. for
game two in the best-of-three series. If a deciding game three is
necessary, it will be played 30 minutes following game two. Games will
be televised by ESPNU and ESPN3.com with Cara Capuano and Garland
Cooper serving as the broadcast team.
“I feel like our team
was very prepared tonight,” head coach Beth Torina said. “We worked
really hard this week, a lot of things with our offense. I feel really
good about the preparation we did, and I feel really good about the
offense. It showed up today. I liked how aggressive our team was. I
like our defensive performance and our performance on the mound. I was
really happy with how we played today.”
LSU grabbed a 2-0
advantage during the third inning. Dylan Supak coaxed a leadoff walk,
and pinch runner Jacee Blades advanced to second base on Andrews single
up-the-middle. Two batters later, Ashley Langoni drew another free pass
to fill the bases. Falcon ripped a timely two-run, two-out single to
put LSU on the scoreboard.
Missouri (46-13) cut
the LSU advantage down to 2-1 in the fourth inning. Nicole Hudson
smacked a leadoff double into the left centerfield gap. She crossed the
plate on Kayla Kingsley two-out, RBI infield single in-front of Fico in
the pitcher’s circle.
LSU responded with three runs during the
fifth inning to bust the contest open. Simone Heyward along with
Langoni and Juliana Santos set the table with a walk and two singles,
respectively, to load the bases.
Falcon and Russell were
hit-by-pitch sandwiched between an Ashley Applegate walk to push the
LSU advantage to 5-1 and chase Missouri’s All-American hurler Chelsea
Thomas from the game.
Thomas dropped to 26-8 for the season
and was touched up for five runs on five hits. She issued a season’s
best six walks to go along with seven Ks.
“Thomas is a
talented pitcher,” Falcon said. “I think what really helped us was we
stayed within our plan, really executed well and kind of threw her off
a little bit.”
Missouri put the first two batters on-base in the
sixth inning, but LSU escaped the jam as third baseman Tammy Wray
turned a 5-3 double play to keep the score at 5-1.
LSU added
an insurance run during the seventh inning. Pinch hitter Cassie
Trosclair cranked a leadoff triple and scored on Russell’s RBI double
off the left field wall to make it 6-1.
Fico worked
around a bases loaded situation in the seventh inning and received a
fielder’s choice play from her middle infield to secure the 6-1
victory.
“We kept a good mix of things,” Fico said. “I
still expect more from myself. I would have liked to be a little bit
sharper, but the great thing about this sport is I have a team behind
me. They played great defense, and they got it done for me .”
Every
LSU postseason game will have live audio and live stats available
inside the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net. The games also will be carried
live on Country Legends 104.9 FM in the Baton Rouge area with Patrick
Wright and Matt Dunaway set to call the action.
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