STARKVILLE — LSU senior infielder Bianka Bell has fond memories of watching her older sister, Briana, play softball for Mississippi State.
Now she is making memories at MSU’s new field, Nusz Park.
Bell hit a solo home run and teammate Sandra Simmons hit a game-winning two-run shot Friday afternoon to help No. 7 seed LSU beat No. 3 seed Tennessee 3-1 in eight innings in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament.
The victory helped LSU reach the SEC tournament championship game for the first time since 2010.
LSU will look to win its first conference tournament title since 2007. That also was the last year the Tigers won an extra-inning game in the tournament.
“This tournament is always a lot of fun,” Bell said. “It’s like playing in a (Women’s College World Series). Every team is good, so every game is going to be good. We just try to take advantage of our opportunities.”
LSU defeated Kentucky 3-0 in the quarterfinals when Simmons hit a three-run home run.
For LSU, its tournament play has mirrored the regular season. The Tigers don’t believe in the big inning. However, they do believe in the timely hit.
“This was an awesome win,” LSU coach Beth Torina said. “I can’t be more proud of how my team has played in this tournament. It has been up and down for us, but right now, we are really locked in. The pitching and defense has been outstanding. The offense has produced the big hit when needed the most.
“The mark of a championship team is being able to play well in the clutch.”
With a Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) of 15 entering the tournament, the Tigers felt good about an 11th-straight regional berth. However, three wins in three days have bolstered the squad’s chances to play host to a regional. Torina carried LSU to the WCWS in 2012 and 2015.
“This team really came here on a mission,” Bell said. “Our pitching has been great all year. We just a lost a little confidence at the plate. The thing is anybody on this team can get the big hit, so we just had to stay true to what we were doing and keep working hard. We had a feeling that things would fall into place.”
Allie Walljasper and Carley Hoover combined on a seven-hitter. Walljasper left with two outs in the fifth inning. Hoover worked the Tigers out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth and worked past a leadoff double in the seventh.
Bell’s home run came in the first. A bases-loaded hit batsman for Tennessee tied the game in the fifth.
“We don’t really look at it as dodging a bullet (in the seventh inning),” Simmons said. “We have complete faith in Carley, and we know she can pretty much get us out of any situation. Once we got back into the dugout though (after the seventh inning), we knew it was go-time. We knew we had to go out there and get the game over.”
Bell also sensed the change in momentum.
“There was definitely a spark,” Bell said. “The energy level went way up. We knew we had a chance there (in the eighth inning). We just had to get it done.”
In its three tournament games, the LSU pitching staff has allowed one run in the last 17 innings. LSU opened the tournament with a 5-4 come-from-behind victory against Texas A&M. In that victory, LSU scored three times in the seventh. It was a victory that probably wasn’t possible a month ago.
“We were really down (earlier in the season),” Bell said. “But nobody gave up. We felt like we had a team that could play for championships. We just couldn’t turn on each other. We had to stay positive.”
LSU overcame a stretch of six-straight conference home losses in late March and early April. In those six losses, LSU scored two runs. LSU (45-14) lost 10 of 16 games in that stretch. The freefall started after it scored 30 runs in a win at Louisiana Tech.
“I don’t think we are going to come out and overwhelm anybody,” Bell said. “I do think we are a smart team that knows how to win.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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