No. 23 Auburn Rolls Past Jacksonville State
Audio l Box Score
March 30, 2005
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. -- Sara Ghezzi drove in three runs and the 23rd-ranked Auburn softball team successfully defended its new ranking, defeating Jacksonville State, 7-2, Wednesday in a non-conference game at University Field.
The Tigers jumped up two spots in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll before the game after being ranked 25th nationally the previous two weeks. The victory over the Gamecocks is Auburn's fourth straight and seventh in the Tigers' last nine games.
"We got that ranking and it was really important for us to have a good showing on the road," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "We did that against the Gamecocks. Our offense really responded against a very tough team. Our defense, meanwhile, was steady and allowed our pitchers to feel comfortable from the circle."
Auburn (34-9) rapped out eight hits and made each count. The Tigers scored in four of the five innings they posted a hit.
Ghezzi hit her second home run of the season in the third. The solo shot was her first since Feb. 9 against Alabama State. She followed that up with a double in the seventh that scored two and gave her three RBI, tying a career-high for the sophomore.
The Tigers got on the board in the second. Auburn loaded the bases, then had a two-out double from Ashley Griffin to the left center gap score Amy Shaw and Lauren Walton. The double was Griffin's eighth of the season and it drove in her 17th and 18th runs of the season.
Kristina McCain extended her career-high hit streak to nine games in the sixth inning, singling up the middle off Jacksonville State (21-13) reliever Christine Pierce. McCain finished the game 1-for-4 and tied a career-high with her 24th walk of the season.
Holly Currie started for the Tigers but did not figure in the decision. She threw three innings, striking out three while walking three. She allowed just one hit in her shortened stint. Beth DiPietro came on in relief of Currie in the fourth and worked four innings, striking out two while walking three. She improved to 17-4 this season.
DiPietro helped her cause in the fifth, driving in Auburn's fourth run of the game on a single through the right side of the infield. It was her second RBI of the season.
Carly Kellam started the game for Jacksonville State and allowed three hits and four runs in four innings of work. She fell to 11-5 this season.
The Tigers now head to Starkville, Miss., to get back into Southeastern Conference play against Mississippi State. The clubs will play a doubleheader Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m. CT. That will be followed by a solo game Sunday, also starting at 1 p.m., which will be televised live on Fox Sports Net South.
Catch the games live on the Internet at www.auburntigers.com or on WANI-AM (1400) in the Auburn area.
TIGER NOTES: The game was the first between Auburn and Jacksonville State since 2000 ... The Tigers stole three bases in the first inning, highlighted by Ashley Griffin's steal of both second and third base ... The Tigers now have five players with 20 RBI or more this season and seven in double figures ... Anne Norton has nine and needs just one more to be the eighth Auburn player with at least 10 this season ... Ghezzi's home run gave the Tigers 39 this season, which is now the third-best single-season output in program history ... That trails only the 2001 (47 home runs) and 2002 (48) seasons.