LSU softball makes splash at WCWS; get to semis before falling

Grit; determination; drive.
All of these words and more could be used to describe the LSU softball team and their experience at this year’s NCAA Division I Women’s College World Series.
The Lady Tigers, for the second year in a row, advanced to the semi-finals. Unfortunately, LSU ran into a buzz saw on Sunday, losing to Oklahoma 7-3 and finished with a 2-2 record in Oklahoma City.
LSU finished the season with a overall record of 52-18 and according to head coach Beth Torina, the last four games were definitely a grind for the Lady Tigers.
“Congratulations to Oklahoma, and we wish them luck. They are a very athletic team and have a lot going for them,” Torina said. “We have only played four games, we played about 14 games here, it feels like. I thought we gave it all we had and came up short.”
LSU began the WCWS having to face the number two seeded Michigan Wolverines. That game, postponed from Thursday to Friday because of weather issues, was an offensive struggle for the Lady Tigers.
LSU could only manage four hits and was no way close to figuring out Michigan starting pitcher Megan Betsa in a 2-0 loss.
Falling into the elimination bracket found the Lady Tigers having to face off against SEC Western Division rival Alabama in game two. Even though both teams knew each other inside and out, LSU had a slight advantage having taken two out of three from the Crimson Tide earlier in the year. The Lady Tigers used that advantage to outlast Alabama 6-4 and advance on in the tournament.
LSU got another SEC foe in game three, when the Lady Tigers took on Georgia. Just like Alabama, LSU had defeated the Lady Bulldogs two games to one in the regular season.
And, once again, that proved fruitful for the Lady Tigers, as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first inning and held off Georgia for a 4-1 win.
But, in the semi-finals, LSU took on an Oklahoma team that was on a 29 game win streak and the hottest team in the country. The Lady Sooners showed early in the game why they were one of the best teams in the country, jumping out to a 3-0 lead.
LSU tied the game in the bottom of the third on a three-run blast off of the bat of Savannah Jaquish, but in the end the relentless offense of the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners proved to be too much as they scored in all but three innings to take a 7-3 victory, eliminating the Lady Tigers from the tournament.
Despite the loss, the LSU softball program is one on the rise, as the Lady Tigers have now made it to the WCWS for the fifth time.