Auburn Softball Team Routs Evansville, 8-0, for Tiger Invitational Title
Box Score
February 15, 2003
Softball Team |
AUBURN - Tournament Most Valuable Player Ashley Griffin hit a leadoff home run to set the tone for Auburn's 8-0 rout of Evansville on Sunday afternoon in the Tiger Invitational championship at Jane B. Moore Field.
Auburn improved to 11-2 by winning its sixth straight game while Evansville dropped to 3-2. It is the third straight Tiger Invitational crown for Auburn.
The Tigers poured it on in the third with a six-run explosion that put the game away. The big blow came on Beth DiPietro's two-run double that was just shy of leaving the park. Her's was one of two doubles and seven hits by the Tigers in the inning.
"It is great to see our offense producing the way it did this weekend," said head coach Tina Deese. "We are swinging the bats extremely well right now and are getting into a groove before we get into the conference schedule."
Kristen Keyes, the Most Valuable Pitcher in the tournament, shut down the Purple Aces offense, allowing just three hits in five innings. She was 3-0 in the tournament with an 0.44 earned-run average. She struck out 22 and walked just three in 16 innings of work.
"Kristen * and our whole pitching staff * did an excellent job this weekend," Deese said. "We were very aggressive throughout the games and did a nice job of attacking hitters."
At the plate, Hollie Currie was 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles on the afternoon while Griffin and Lolani Alvarez each finished 2-for-3.
Currie and DiPietro, both freshmen, as well as Sara Dean earned All-Tournament Team honors.
Griffin earned her MVP honor after batting .471 for the weekend with six RBIs and six runs scored.
The Tigers return to action on Tuesday when they face UAB in Birmingham at 6 p.m.