Currie Tosses One-Hitter, Tigers Defeat Iowa, 2-1
Box Score
March 5, 2005
MARIETTA, Ga. -- Holly Currie threw seven scoreless innings of one-hit softball as Auburn held off Iowa, 2-1, at the Buzz Classic, held at the Al Bishop Softball Complex.
Currie did not allow a hit until Iowa's Natalie Johnson singled with one out in the seventh inning. Currie struck out 12 Iowa batters -- just two off her career-best set against Texas Tech on Feb. 25 -- and walked just two. Had Currie held the Hawkeyes hitless, it would have been her second no-hitter of the season. She threw the program's first-ever perfect game against the College of Charleston on Feb. 11.
The Pisgah, Ala., native improved to 10-4 this season.
"Holly had an absolutely well-pitched game," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "She kept the Iowa batters off the plate, threw strikes where she wanted them, and gave our defense a real chance to make plays. Our hitters did a good job of getting Holly the runs she needed. It just goes to show how important pitching is in tight games."
The Auburn (23-5) offense was held in check by Iowa starter Lisa Birocci, who struck out 17 Georgia Southern batters on Friday. Birocci struck out five Tigers, but gave up solo runs in the first and fifth innings, which proved to be enough for the narrow Tiger victory. Auburn, as a team, garnered six hits and one walk.
Sara Ghezzi drove put the Tigers on the scoreboard in the first. She singled to center, scoring Kristina McCain. Brittany Scott, pinch running for Currie -- who had singled as the third batter of the inning -- however, was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second.
In the fifth, the Tiger offense manufactured its second run of the game. Lauren Walton reached on a fielder's choice, then beat a throw to second on an attempted fielder's choice. Two batters later, Currie beat out an infield single, and Walton came around to narrowly beat the throw at home.
Iowa (10-3) scored its only run of the game in the second. Barb Weinberg, who was pinch running for Sami Baugh, came home on a pickoff throw. Kylie Murray had walked on the play, and Sara Dean attempted to get Weinberg at third.
Both Ghezzi and Currie paced the Auburn offensive attack with 2-for-3 efforts with one RBI apiece. Sara Dean and Lolani Alvarez both had solo hits in the victory.
Barocci fell to 5-2 on the season with the loss.
The Tigers now advances to bracket play as the No. 2 seed of the Buzz Classic. Auburn earns a bye until Sunday, set to play the winner of the No. 7/10 game, which will be played Saturday night. Auburn's game tomorrow begins at 8 a.m. CT. The winner of that game advances to the semifinals at 10 a.m., with the final two teams playing for the Buzz Classic Championship at 12 p.m.
TIGER NOTES: Aside from Holly Currie's perfect game, Auburn's last no-hitter came March 27, 2004 against South Carolina ... It was thrown by Kristen Keyes in a 1-0 win over then then-15th ranked Gamecocks ... Auburn has now won its last six games and 13-of-14 ... The Tigers have outscored their opponents, 32-2, in the first four games of the Buzz Classic ... Buzz Classic-host Georgia Tech was named the tournament's No. 1 seed by virtue of least number of runs allowed ... The Yellow Jackets allowed just one, it coming in a 2-1 victory over Purdue ... Auburn wore its blue uniforms and improved to 13-2 in them this season ... Auburn is now 10-1 this season in games played at a neutral site this season ... The Tigers improved to 7-9 all-time against Big Ten Conference opponents.