Auburn Extends Stay In SEC Tournament With Wins Over LSU and Mississippi State
Box Score l Audio
Kristen Keyes |
May 15, 2004
TUSCALOOSA - Auburn pitcher Kristen Keyes made Ashley Griffin's two-run double in the first inning stand up by hurling a one-hitter as the Tigers knocked off top-seeded and second-ranked LSU, 2-0, in the SEC Tournament late Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
It was Auburn's second win over the Bayou Bengals this year and their third over a team ranked as high as second. The win forces a second game between the two teams that will start at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning. The winner of that contest advances to the 1 p.m. championship game against Georgia.
It is the first time Auburn will play on Sunday in the SEC Tournament and the Tigers have three tournament wins for the first time ever.
In the first inning, Shannon Anderson and Sara Dean knocked back-to-back singles before moving to second and third on a double steal. An out later, Griffin came through with her big hit. She was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a triple to end the threat.
Griffin also drove in both Auburn runs with two outs in the Tigers 2-1 victory over LSU on April 24 in Baton Rouge.
"Ashley Griffin was phenomenal for us today. She got it done on the defensive end and then had a the big two RBI hit," said Auburn coach Tina Deese. "She continues to come through for us when we need her."
Keyes was spectacular against the nation's third most proficient offensive team. Only Leigh Ann Danos' single to left prevented a no-hitter. It was Keyes second one-hitter in as many days as she shut down South Carolina on Friday.
She struck out six, walked two and hit a batter in improving to 27-10 with her 13th shutout. Seven times this year she has allowed one hit or fewer, including in two straight starts. Keyes also has a 15-inning scoreless streak.
"I think our team played a great game," said Deese. "Kristen Keyes went out there and pitched like Kristen Keyes. She was great against a very good offensive team."
LSU's only real scoring threat came in the fifth inning. Keyes hit Lauren Delahoussaye and then gave up the Danos hit before walking Julie Wiese to load the bases with no outs. She got out of the jam by inducing a Sara Fitzgerald pop out, striking out Camille Harris and getting LaDonia Hughes to fly out.
It marked only the second time this season LSU has been shutout and the second time they have been held to one hit.
Emily Turner took the loss to fall to 17-5 this season. She gave up two runs on seven hits while striking out two and walking one.
In the first game of the day, Birmingham native Paige Jones hit a solo home run to tie the game in the sixth and followed that with a walk-off single in the seventh to rally Auburn for a 4-3 victory over Mississippi State.
Auburn won in walk-off fashion for the fourth time this season to avoid elimination. The Tigers are now 13-4 in one-run games.
"I can't express how proud I am of this team," said Deese after the game. "They battled all day and found a way to win. Our players haven't quit all season and they didn't today and it paid off."
Tied 3-3 heading into the seventh, Dean reached on an error by shortstop Callye Williams to lead off. Martha Phillips then chopped a single over third baseman Tanelda McDonald's head to put the winning run in scoring position.
Griffin came to the plate and roped what looked to be a game-winning double to right-centerfield. However, centerfielder Iyhia McMichael, a finalist for National Player of the Year, made a game-saving, back-handed grab after covering nearly half of the outfield.
With a second chance, Mississippi State pitcher Kelli Miller, who had reentered in the sixth after starting, promptly hit Sara Ghezzi to load the bases. Jones then laced a two-strike pitch to right centerfield to plate Dean for the winner.
"I was just trying have a good at bat and get on base," said Jones.
"I was a little nervous at first and swung at a pitch I shouldn't have. Then, I made myself relax and took a strike. I finally got one on the outside corner and was able to drive it."
In the previous inning, Jones led off with a towering homer to left field off Melissa Massey. Massey, who entered in the second to relieve Miller, had hurled nine shutout innings against the Tigers prior to the blast.
"I thought she was going to catch it at the track," Jones said of the shot. "When it went over, I just about did a cartwheel."
Mississippi State opened the game by plating an unearned run as the first baseman, Phillips, dropped a throw from second baseman Lolani Alvarez on what would have been a third out.
The Bulldogs struck for two more unearned runs in the second when McMichael tripled over Anderson's head in center to plate a pair of runners with two outs.
Following that hit, Auburn starter Holly Currie would retire 12 of the next 13 she faced before yielding to Keyes at the start of the seventh. Keyes worked a single inning to pick up the her 26th win of the year.
Auburn scored twice in its half of the first. Kristina McCain singled to lead off and scored on Ghezzi's two-out single up the middle. Phillips, who had walked, then scored when Jones chopper to short was misplayed.
The rally fizzled there, which would become a trend during the game for the Tigers. Auburn stranded six runners in the first three innings and 11 in the game, which matched a season high. However, three of them did come because of the walk-off victory.
Both first inning runs and the final run were charged to Miller as she took the loss.