Auburn Holds Off LSU To Advance Further Into The SEC Tournament
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May 14, 2005
Ashley Griffin |
Gainesville, FL -- Third-seeded Auburn advanced to play top-seeded Georgia at 7:30 p.m. EST Saturday by defeating eighth-seeded LSU, 4-3, at the Florida Softball Stadium. The game against the Bulldogs will mark Auburn's fourth in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, with the Tigers currently holding a 2-1 record through three.
Auburn advanced further into the tournament after scoring one in the third and three more in the sixth. LSU (31-23 overall) pulled to within one after capitalizing on two Auburn errors in the sixth, but the Tigers were able to hold off the Bengal Tigers.
"Overall, the girls played great," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "It was a total team effort. Holly did her job on the mound. Amy Shaw, she's been a sparkplug for us, getting on base."
Currie threw 5 1/3 innings for her 24th victory of the season. She allowed three hits and two runs - one unearned - while striking out six.
She gave way to Beth DiPietro in the sixth, who gave up a run but held steady to push Auburn's overall record to 49-15. DiPietro now has four saves this season.
Emily Turner threw well for LSU, going to the distance. However, she fell to 17-16 on the season after allowing six hits and four runs while striking out eight.
The Tigers opened the game's scoring in the third. With Lauren Walton pinch running at second base for Anne Norton, who had walked to start the inning, Kristina McCain posted Auburn's first hit of the game. The sophomore laced a single through the right side of the infield, allowing Walton to score from second.
The Tigers extended their one-run lead with three in the sixth. Amy Shaw reached on a bunt single and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by McCain. Shaw moved to third a batter later on Ashley Griffin's infield single.
Both Shaw and Griffin scored when Holly Currie connected on an Emily Turner one-out pitch and doubled to right center. Griffin initially stopped at third on the play, but scored on a throwing error by the LSU second baseman. Currie made it three runs in the inning when she scored on Sara Dean's team-leading seventh sacrifice fly.
"Holly's hit toward the end proved to be very big," Deese said.
LSU scored all of its runs in the sixth. Lauren Delahoussaye came home for the Bengal Tigers' first run of the game after Andrea Smith singled to right and Auburn committed an error. Two batters later, Camille Harris singled to right center, scoring two.
Currie led the Tigers with two hits. Harris paced LSU's offense with two hits of her own.
The Tigers and Bulldogs will square off at 7:30 p.m. If Auburn wins the game, the Tigers and Bulldogs will play again Sunday at 9:30 a.m. EST.
If Georgia, which has gone 2-0 through the tournament so far, is victorious, the Bulldogs will advance to the SEC Tournament Championship Game.
Catch Auburn's game against Georgia live on the Internet at www.auburntigers.com or in the Auburn area at WANI-AM (1400).
TIGER NOTES: Ashley Griffin extended her season-high hit streak to 11 games with an infield single in the sixth inning ... Holly Currie's double in the sixth inning extended her SEC lead to 18 ... Currie now has 60 RBI this season, extending her Auburn single-season record by 17 ... Auburn has now won 11 of its last 13 games ... The Tigers took all four games from LSU this season, outscoring the Bengal Tigers, 21-7 ...
Auburn's game against Georgia will mark the fourth between the teams this season ... Georgia took 2-of-3 from the Tigers in Athens, with the Auburn winning the final game of the series, 8-4, on April 17 ... Sara Dean's season-high hit streak was snapped at 14 games ... That is one game off her career-high of 15 games ... Dean, did, however, post her 42nd RBI of the season with her game-winning sacrifice fly, which extends her career-high and is third on the Tigers.