Beth Torina encourages LSU to stay aggressive vs. Alabama

Auburn is playing host to the SEC softball tournament this season and to kick the action off on Wednesday, Alabama is facing off against LSU. Head coach Beth Torina sees her team down two runs heading into the bottom half of the fourth inning, facing elimination early on.

The LSU bats have been silent thus far, not producing a run. Just one hit has been recorded, with McKenzie Redoutey having a first-inning single. Nobody else has gotten on base though, turning out to be a good start for Alabama’s Kayla Beaver.

Torina knows some offense needs to come quickly and is just encouraging LSU to stay aggressive in the batter’s box. The pitches are there to produce big plays but the Tigers are just not executing.

“I think we need to be more aggressive,” Torina said when speaking to ESPN’s Alyssa Lang. “I feel like we’re being passive within every at-bat. We’re continuing to get a pitch to hit, we’re just not executing. So, just keep being aggressive, keep swinging. We got a lot of game left.”

From a pitching standpoint, LSU turned to Sydney Berzon as they try to advance in the SEC Tournament. Torina describes Alabama’s two runs in the first inning as “bad luck” after a swinging bunt started the rally — something they even attempted to practice.

Since then, Alabama has gone down in order in the second and third innings while Berzon escaped some trouble in the fourth.

“Just some tough luck in that first inning,” Torina said. “The swinging bunt, I don’t know how you defend that or practice it. We actually tried to because it feels like she gets that a lot. But I think she’s doing a great job.”

LSU will have multiple frames to get things right, especially in the box. They are coming up to the plate right as Torina gives her interview on SEC Network and could have a tied game before we know it.

At stake is a place in the quarterfinals against No. 1 seed Tennessee. Whoever loses is likely leaving the Plains early and beginning to prepare for the NCAA Tournament in the coming weeks. There is a chance both Alabama and LSU wind up as hosts in the regionals.

Continuing to stay alive in the SEC Tournament would only strengthen their cases, though. A fun few final innings are head between the Tigers and Crimson Tide.