Feb. 28, 2006
AUBURN, Ala. - Junior Holly Currie allowed one run and struck out nine, but it wasn't enough as the 20th-ranked Auburn softball team fell to No. 7 Michigan Tuesday in front of 1,371, the largest crowd ever at Jane B. Moore Field.
Currie allowed a two-out single to Becky Marx in the third, which brought in Samantha Findlay from second. It proved to be enough as the Tigers managed just one hit -- a Currie infield single in the fourth inning.
"Holly pitched well again," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "It's a shame we couldn't get the victory for her tonight. We'll have to go out and get a win in Pensacola tomorrow night. I'm really impressed with the way Holly has thrown this early in the season."
Jennie Ritter struck out 12 for Michigan (7-4 overall), improving her record on the year to 4-1.
The Tigers (11-3) threatened to tie the score in the fourth, getting Currie all the way to third. The junior singled to third and advanced two more bases on a throwing error by third baseman Grace Leutele. Freshman Tatiana Fernandez, however, stranded Currie at third, going down on strikes for the third out of the inning.
Currie fell to 7-1 on the season after walking two and allowing seven hits in her fourth complete game effort of the season. Currie's nine strikeouts gave her 99 on the season as she just missed striking out 10 or more for the eighth time this season.
The 1,371 was almost 200 more than the next highest attendance total, 1,187, achieved on May 5, 2002 against Alabama.
The Tigers travel to Pensacola, Fla., to take on Southern Miss. Wednesday. The game will start at 5 p.m. CT., and will be held on the campus of the University of West Florida. No radio will be available for the game, but live stats will be carried on www.auburntigers.com
TIGER NOTES: The Tigers wore their white uniforms for the game ... The team fell to 3-1 in its blue uniforms this season ... Auburn and Michigan met for the first time since 2000, when the Wolverines were victorious, 10-3 ... Auburn remained 20th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Collegiate Poll, which was released prior to the game ... Michigan, meanwhile, fell from No. 5 to No. 7 ... The USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Collegiate Poll is due out Wednesday ... Michigan fell to Troy, 4-2, in a game prior to the Tigers' contest against the Wolverines ... Holly Currie got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first, striking out Teddi Ewing to end the inning ... Currie struck out three in the first ... Auburn did not commit an error for the sixth straight game and ninth time overall this season.