Feb. 24, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ga. - Holly Currie struck out 12 and threw her second no hitter of the season as the 17th-ranked Auburn softball team defeated No. 24 Missouri, 2-0, in the team's second game at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
Senior Ashley Griffin hit a two-out, two-run home run in the sixth for Auburn's (11-2 overall) only runs of the game. The 2-0 victory over Missouri put head coach Tina Deese's club at 1-1 for the day after losing to Arizona State, 1-0, earlier.
"Holly, just like Beth (DiPietro) in game one, really had her focus and was consistently hitting her spots," Deese said. "You could tell she got more confident as the game wore on. Her defense did a great job behind her and the offense produced at the right time."
Currie reached double-digits in strikeouts for the sixth time this season. She improved to 7-0 on the year after walking just two.
The no-no gave Currie two for the season, this one against Missouri (4-6) coming a week after she blanked Mercer in a 19-0 win at Jane B. Moore Field. The no-hitter marked the third of Currie's career after she pitched the program's first perfect game last season against the College of Charleston.
Griffin's home run was set up when freshman Tatiana Fernandez doubled with two outs in the sixth off Missouri starter Jen Bruck. It proved to be Auburn's only extra base hit on the day.
Junior Lauren Walton paced the Tigers offensively, earning two of the team's four hits against Missouri. She posted infield singles in both the third and fifth innings.
Bruck fell to 4-4 on the season after throwing six innings, allowing four hits and two runs. She struck out two and walked none.
Auburn began the day with a 1-0 loss to No. 16 Arizona State. Junior Beth DiPietro struck out eight but got the loss after allowing a game-winning single in the eighth. She fell to 4-1 on the season.
Auburn continues its play at the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Saturday at 10 a.m. EST., against North Carolina. The game can be heard live on www.auburntigers.com and WZMG-AM (910). Live stats will also be available on www.auburntigers.com and www.nfca.org.
TIGER NOTES: The Tigers wore their blue uniforms for both games of the afternoon ... Auburn improved to 8-1 in its blue uniforms this season ... Holly Currie became just the second Tiger to record two or more no hitters in the same season ... Kristen Keyes accomplished the feat in 2004, throwing five ... In other action in pool 5, North Carolina opened the day with a 3-0 victory over Missouri, then lost to Arizona State, 4-3, in nine innings in the pool's second game.