Auburn Blanks Samford in Softball, 4-0
Box Score
February 24, 2003
Kristen Keyes |
AUBURN - Auburn scored four runs on seven hits and got a combined shutout performance from Holly Currie and Kristen Keyes to blank Samford, 4-0, on Tuesday night at the Jane B. Moore softball field.
Auburn improved on the best start in school history by moving to 15-3 on the year. Samford fell to 2-9.
"We are glad to come away with a win tonight," said head coach Tina Deese. "We didn't play our best game and weren't as ready to play as we should have been. But we are pleased to have a win under our belts and we're looking forward to tomorrow."
Currie started and pitched the first 3 1/3 innings and gave up three hits. Keyes came after that and earned the win to improve to 7-3. She dominated, allowing just one hit in 3 2/3 innings while striking out eight and walking none.
Ashley Griffin scored two of Auburn's three runs in the game. She began the third with a leadoff double and was sacrificed over to second by Shannon Anderson. Sara Dean's triple to right field brought her home. Dean was stranded on third after Currie struck out and Martha Phillips grounded out.
In the fifth, Griffin singled to lead off the inning and stole second. She scored on Currie's two-out single through the right side of the infield.
"Once again our we got key hits when we needed them," said Deese. "Sara Dean and Holly Currie came through with clutch hits to score some runs."
The Tigers tacked on a pair of runs in the sixth by taking advantage of a walk by Emilee Lewis walk and an Erin Landsburg error. Kristina McCain drew the walk and went to third when Landsburg missed the throw on Sara Ghezzi's sacrifice bunt. McCain scored on Lolani Alvarez' ground out and Ghezzi came home on a wild pitch one batter later.
Samford had chances to get on the board in the fourth and fifth but left two runners on in each frame. In the fourth, Shelley Stanley and Jenna Dempski each reached on a single that took a bad hop through the left side of the infield with one out.
Auburn then replaced brought in Keyes, who induced a fly ball to right and got a great diving catch from left fielder Lauren Walton for the final out.
An inning later, Landsburg reached when hit by a pitch and went to third on Erin Hall's double to left. However, Keyes left both stranded by striking out Liz Pearse and Kelly Smith to retire the side.
Auburn returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Gardner-Webb for a doubleheader beginning at 6 p.m. at Jane B. Moore Field.