Auburn Rallies For 4-2 Victory Over No. 7 Georgia
Box Score l Audio
April 18, 2004
Kristen Keyes |
AUBURN - The Auburn softball team used a game-changing play at the plate and a pair of wild pitches to rally for a 4-2 victory over seventh-ranked Georgia on Sunday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field.
The 22nd-ranked Tigers improved to 32-11 overall and 13-8 in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs fell to 41-11 and 17-7 in the league.
In a tight 2-2 game with two outs in the fifth Megan McAllister seemed to have given Georgia a one-run lead when she rocketed a double off the left field wall. However, Lauren Walton fielded the ball perfectly off the wall and hit Ashley Griffin, who turned and fired a strike to Sara Dean at the plate to prevent Katie Lewis from scoring from first.
"It took a perfect play from us," said Auburn coach Tina Deese. "It took a perfect bounce off the wall and Lauren hit her relay. Ashley made a perfect throw to the plate and Sara took the throw and made the play. All three things had to happen and we got the job done."
The play energized the Auburn squad, which then posted two runs in the bottom half of the frame to take the rubber match of the three-game series.
"That play definitely changed the momentum and changed the look of the game," said Deese. "It fired the kids up."
Kristina McCain drew a one-out walk and Shannon Anderson singled to get the rally going. Georgia pitcher Kasi Carroll then uncorked a pair of wild pitches, which scored McCain and sent Anderson to third. Dean brought home Anderson with a sacrifice fly to left.
McCain, batting leadoff for the third straight game, drew three walks and turned them into three runs as she finished the series by reaching base in six of her nine plate appearances. She was driven home by a Martha Phillips single in the first and on a Dean double in the third.
"Kristina was great this weekend," said Deese. "I felt like we needed a change at the top of the order, so we did it this weekend and it proved to be a good call."
Phillips had two of Auburn's four hits from the cleanup spot, including a fifth-inning double.
"Martha has made some very good adjustments lately," Deese said. "She is seeing the ball very well and she's confident in the box. She's hard to beat right now and we're going to need."
Kristen Keyes struggled early by allowing two runs on three hits and a pair of walks to the first six batters. But she settled down quickly to leave the bases loaded in the first. From there, she was dominant, allowing just the McAllister hit and striking out six.
"Kristen just battled today," Deese said. "She had to get adjusted to the strike zone today in the first inning. But she stayed very poised and focused. She wanted this game really bad and she showed a lot of guts by hanging in there."
Having struggled against the Bulldogs in the past, going 0-4 over the past two years, Keyes was exceptional this weekend. She earned two wins and allowed just a pair of runs on seven hits to the SEC's best offense in 14 innings. She is now 18-8 on the year.
Carroll was one of three Georgia pitchers used and took the loss for giving up the pair of runs in the fifth. She fell to 11-4 on the season.
Auburn returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts arch-rival and 13th-ranked Alabama. The two teams will meet in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. The series will wrap up Wednesday at 3 p.m.