Auburn Softball Eliminated from NCAA Regional
May 17, 2002
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- The Auburn softball team fell to top-seeded Florida Atlantic 4-2 in an elimination game Friday in NCAA Region Eight action at the Seminole Softball Complex on the campus of Florida State University. The fourth-seeded Tigers (38-27) ended their season with a school-record 38 wins while the Lady Owls improved to 62-12 and advanced to play sixth-seeded Chattanooga in the next round.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the fourth after an RBI single by junior Jodie Van Ooyen, but the Lady Owls answered with three runs in the fifth and FAU starter Nicole Myers was able to keep Auburn in check allowing just one more run and two hits the rest of the way. Myers improved to 36-7 allowing two runs on five hits.
Auburn got its final run of the season in the seventh when senior All-American Ashley Moore sent her 17th home run of the season over the left field in her final career at-bat for the Tigers.
"It hurts right now, but we had a great season," Auburn Head Coach Tina Deese said. "The girls gave it their all and that is all I can ask for. If we could have gotten a couple breaks here or there, things might have been different, but (Nicole) Myers is a great pitcher and she was on today."
Each team's starting pitcher controlled the first two innings as Kristen Keyes and Myers struck out a pair of batters in each frame. They also each walked a pair of batters in the second, but were able to keep their opponents off the scoreboard.
Freshman Shannon Anderson got the Tigers' first hit in the third, but she was erased on a fielder's choice and Ashley Moore was left stranded in her place. The Lady Owls got two runners on in the fourth after Callie Piper walked for the second time and Candice Preel followed with a single, but Keyes once again pitched out of the jam getting Rhianna Rogers to fly out to right.
Auburn also got a pair of runners on in its half of the fourth and this time the Tigers were able to take advantage of their opportunity. Van Ooyen lined an RBI single off the glove of Rogers at third base and shortstop Martha Phillips was able to score from second after the ball slowly dribbled out into left field.
FAU took its first lead of the game in the top of the fifth putting three runs on the board. Ninya Ibarra singled with one out and scored on a double off the wall in center field by Heather Wright. After Wright's double, the Tigers brought in senior Jen Lofton in relief of Keyes.
Lofton got Myers to fly out to right for the third time in the game for the second out of the frame, but FAU got a clutch two-out hit from first baseman Pam Mazzarella doubled off the left field scoring Wright. The Owls added one more run on an RBI single by Piper.
Auburn got the leadoff runner on in the sixth when Kasey Angulo drew a walk, but she was forced out at second on a fielder's choice by Phillips. Zeigler then advanced Phillips with a two-out infield single, but Myers got Van Ooyen to ground out to the shortstop to end the threat.
The Lady Owls added an insurance run in the seventh when Wright hit a solo home run over the leftfield wall.
The Tigers got one run back in the seventh when Moore sent her 17th home run of the season over the left field wall, but that proved to be the final run of the season.