LSU takes WCWS opener against Auburn, 6-1

The No. 8 LSU softball teams knocked off Auburn, 6-1, Thursday, in opening round action of the Women’s College World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium — OGE Field.
A first-inning home run by Bianka Bell helped ignite the offense of LSU (51-12), which recorded a program WCWS-tying 10 hits.
The win was the Tigers’ second consecutive against Auburn (54-10) after taking the season finale in Tiger Park earlier this month.
“Our team played a great game,” LSU softball coach Beth Torina said in a news release. “I thought the best thing about the game was it was well pitched, well played, but I liked our team’s fight. I thought they scored whether we had two outs or not. They were able to score and answer to Auburn anytime they did something. I thought our team showed a lot of guts and a lot of fight.”
Bell’s only hit of the day in the first was the only one she needed to break the tie she had for the home run lead, giving her the 18th long ball of the year. The mark is now the new single-season record at LSU.
She finished Thursday 1-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Tying the individual record for hits in a WCWS game was freshman Emily Griggs, who went 3-for-3 for LSU, followed by Constance Quinn, who went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Sahvanna Jaquish and Kellsi Kloss each drove in two runs to tie for the game high, as Jaquish had a double and Kloss drilled her 13th home run this season to aid.
Lasting the complete game and scattering just six hits with only one run was Carley Hoover (18-5). She secured the victory by tossing just 78 pitches — 59 for strikes.
“I think what was really cool about today was that I personally didn’t feel like I had 100 percent, I was missing a lot of middle. But our defense was so strong,” Hoover said in a news release. “We made amazing plays, and our offense rallied. It always helps when we score first. Bianka’s home run — I think it’s an overall good team win, and like I said, really strong defense.”
Marcy Harper (12-5) suffered the loss for Auburn after allowing five runs on six hits in 2.2 innings. She struck out two and walked one.
Rachael Walter pitched 4.1 innings of relief, allowing a run on four hits with three strikeouts.
Morgan Estell had two of Auburn’s six hits, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
After two quick outs for the Tigers in the first, Bell stepped to the plate and with a 2-1 count, reached low for one, sending it into the bleachers in left for the solo homer and a 1-0 LSU lead.
“With two outs, just trying to get on base, find my way on, do it with two outs and just hope someone can score me in,” Bell said in a news release. “I guess I just got all of the ball and it went out, but that was really cool, exciting I guess.”
The Tigers opened the second with a single by Griggs to put one on for LSU. A defensive play by Auburn resulted in a double play, putting LSU on the brink of ending the frame scoreless.
However, a single to left by Bailey Landry put a runner back on. A walk to Bell put two on, and each came home on a slicing double by Jaquish to right-center to make it 3-0 LSU.
In the second pitch of her at-bat, Kloss lifted one down the left field line that stayed up in the air long enough to go off the foul pole for the team’s second home run of the day and a 5-0 LSU lead.
“I mean, I wasn’t trying to do anything too big,” Kloss said. “I was just trying to make an adjustment for my last at-bat and try to get a little more on top of the ball. And I put a good swing on it. And I stayed inside it enough to hit the pole, and it’s really exciting.”
Auburn put together its first real threat in the bottom half of that same inning, getting two runners on after a pair of singles.
Eventually, Auburn had runners at the corners, but LSU got out of the jam without giving up a run to maintain its five-run advantage.
Auburn scored its run in the fifth, using a double before a sac bunt and sac fly made the score 5-1.
In the top of the sixth, a double by Quinn to right put one on for LSU.
After an out, Griggs earned her third hit of the day to put two on for the Tigers.
An infield grounder by A.J. Andrews should have gotten at least one out, but an error on the throw for the force out allowed Quinn to score to make it 6-1.
“I think the main thing on this team is everybody knows that they have a part in everything that we do,” Griggs said. “So whether you’re playing shortstop or you’re on the bench, we need every single person. So just everybody being 100 percent, like diving into the game and giving their all, all their energy for us. I think that really helps our energy.”
LSU returns to the field today, taking on the Florida Gators at 6 p.m. at ASA Hall Of Fame Stadium – OGE Field. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.