Auburn Softball Shuts Out Georgia Southern On Second Day Of Buzz Classic
Box Score
March 5, 2005
ATLANTA -- At least five players had one hit as Auburn rolled to a 10-0 victory over Georgia Southern in the second day of the Buzz Classic at the Al Bishop Softball Complex. The Tigers now take on Iowa in the team's second game of the day, with the scheduled start listed as 3 p.m. CT.
Paige Jones doubled to left in the sixth, driving in three, and forcing the game to be stopped after six innings due to the run-rule against Georgia Southern. That's the eighth time this season Auburn has played in a shortened game, with the Tigers holding a 7-1 record. Jones, meanwhile, has now driven in nine runs in three games at the tournament and is 6-for-7. She set a career-high with three walks against the Eagles.
Beth DiPietro has now won 10 straight and improved to 11-1 with the victory over Georgia Southern. She threw six innings against the Eagles, allowing just three hits while striking out six. The Riverview, Fla., native has not lost since Feb. 6 in Miami.
"Beth is really on a roll right now," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "She has been absolutely stifling batters in the last month, throwing what she wants when she wants and the location has been spot on. She's in a real impressive stretch right now."
Ashley Griffin hit her fourth home run of the season in the second inning, a solo shot over the left field fence off Georgia Southern starter A.J. Street. The home run was Griffin's third away from Jane B. Moore Field this season, with each coming at a neutral site.
The Tigers (22-5) scored two runs apiece in the first and fourth innings. Griffin was driven in by a Sara Dean single in the first to start Auburn's scoring. McCain later scored on a double steal as Dean took second.
The Tigers scored both of their runs in the fourth inning without tallying a hit. Auburn walked three times in the inning and capitalized on two Georgia Southern (11-13) errors to go up, 5-0.
Dean and Griffin both had two hits to lead the Tigers. Dean also walked home a run in the Tigers' five-run sixth, and finished the game with two RBI. She now has eight in the first three games of the Buzz Classic. Griffin had a single in the sixth to go along with her second-inning home run and scored three runs.
Street fell to 4-6 this season after allowing three hits and three runs over two innings. She struck out one and walked one.
Auburn now faces off against Iowa, 2-0 on the first day of the Buzz Classic, at 3 p.m. CT. If Auburn defeats the Hawkeyes, the Tigers will be the top seed to come out of Pool 2, earning the club a bye until 9 a.m. Sunday.
TIGER NOTES: Beth DiPietro's victory gave her 17 for her career, which places her in a three-way tie with teammate Holly Currie and Brenda Espinoza for fifth all-time in Tiger history ... Ashley Griffin walked to start the game and has now reached base safely in her last five games and 13-of-14 games ... The Tigers, meanwhile, have posted at least one walk in all but one of their games this season ... Sara Dean earned her fifth pickoff of the season and third in as many games in the first inning ...