LSU eliminated, says goodbye to special group of seniors
Saturday night’s late press conference rolled over into Sunday morning. It was a somber setting with three crying seniors, a junior and a coach. All of them broke down at the same exact moment.
“These guys have raised the bar, they’ve set the bar. They have made the expectations for this program very difficult for me as a coach moving forward. We have a lot to live up to with the records they’ve set and the things they’ve done,” said LSU head coach Beth Torina. “It’s more than just about softball, it’s about the people that they are. We just have a huge appreciation for these guys and what they’ve done for LSU softball.”
The LSU Tigers were eliminated from the Women’s College World Series with a 4-1 loss to Oregon. Shemiah Sanchez had the lone LSU with a monster home run to left field in the second inning. But afterwards, it wasn’t about the home run. It was about the girls who won’t be back next season.
Before every game, one would find Constance Quinn in the middle of the pregame circle firing up her team, Sahvanna Jaquish was pretty much a guarantee to be behind the plate and Bailey Landry protected her in the lineup and was a force in the outfield. They leave Baton Rouge with three consecutive trips to the Women’s College World Series, which is no easy feat.
“I’m proud of this team and I’m proud to be an LSU Tiger,” said Quinn. “I don’t care that we fell short. We did something that hasn’t been done before in LSU history and that’s to make it back here three times in a row. We didn’t get the goal but in my heart I feel like we did what we needed to do to prove that LSU is a name that will be remembered forever and will get the respect it deserves.”
Jaquish’s legacy at LSU will be remembered as the first four-time All-American in LSU softball history.
“I feel like even if we won the National Championship, I would still be up here crying because I can’t wear this jersey anymore,” said Jaquish, who cut her thoughts short due to tears. “These colors mean a lot to me, the city of Baton Rouge and my teammates.”
In the fourth inning, Landry’s infield single set the single-season program record for LSU. It was her only hit of the contest but she made it count, as it was her 92nd of 2017.
“Setting the record really didn’t cross my mind,” said Landry. “I was just worried about being out there with an LSU jersey on. It’s just fun, everyday is fun and it’s going to be the biggest thing that I miss. It’s been a heck of a ride and I got to do it with some pretty tremendous people. It’s a part of life, it’s something I will never forget and it’s something that shaped me into adulthood and prepared me for the world.”
