March 18, 2006
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The 18th-ranked Auburn softball team split a doubleheader Saturday with No. 2 Tennessee to open up a three-game series at Tyson Park. The Tigers handed the Lady Vols their first loss of the season, 3-1, in the second game of the doubleheader.
Auburn, however, fell, 2-0, in the first game of the day.
Junior Holly Currie allowed one run and seven hits in seven innings in the second game to improve to 12-2 on the year. The win snapped Tennessee's (24-1 overall, 1-1 SEC) season-opening win streak at 24 games.
"Holly pitched a great game," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "She got into a few jams, but worked her way out of it and got the win. Our offense really came through early, which gave her some breathing room."
The Tigers wasted no time getting on the board against Tennessee starter Megan Rhodes. Kristina McCain singled up the middle for Auburn's first hit of the day, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ashley Griffin.
Junior Sara Ghezzi gave Auburn (21-5, 4-1) control on just the at bat of the game, stroking a 3-1 pitch from Rhodes over the center field fence for the 2-0 lead.
Freshman Taryn Gray hit her first career home run on the first pitch she saw from Rhodes in the sixth to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead. The solo shot marked Gray's fifth RBI of the season.
Tennessee answered back with a solo run in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk by pinch hitter Natalie Brock. Junior Holly Currie, however got pinch hitter Kortney Bell swinging with the bases loaded to end the inning, allowing Auburn to hold onto a 3-1 lead.
McCain paced the Tigers with two hits. Ghezzi, Gray, Heather Garrison and Tat Fernandez all had one hit apiece.
Rhodes fell to 9-1 this season. She allowed three runs and six hits while striking out six and walking four.
In game one, Monica Abbott struck out 16 in throwing her fourth solo no hitter of the season. Abbott improved to 15-0 on the year in her 15th start.
McCain was the only Tiger who managed to reach base against Abbott, earning an eight-pitch walk to start the game. The walk was only the sixth all year Abbott had given up in nearly 100 innings.
Junior Beth DiPietro limited Tennessee to just two runs in six innings, marking her eighth complete game of the season. The Riverview, Fla., native fell to 9-2 this season after striking out two and walking one.
Tennessee scored its only runs of the game in the bottom half of the third, putting runners on first and second before Lindsay Schutzler doubled to center. Two batters later, Kristi Durant brought Tennessee's second runner in with a sacrifice fly to right, caught by Auburn junior Sara Ghezzi at the base of the fence.
Auburn and Tennessee wrap up the three-game series Sunday at Tyson Park. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. EST., and can be heard live on www.auburntigers.com and WZMG-AM (910). Live stats are also available on www.auburntigers.com.
TIGER NOTES: The Tigers wore their white uniforms for both games and are 8-2 in them this season ... The three-game series will mark Auburn's final at Tennessee Field at Tyson Park as the Lady Vols are set to move into a new, 1,581-seat softball stadium next season ... The announced crowd of 896 marked the second-largest to watch an Auburn softball game this season ... The largest crowd was 1,371 in the Tigers' game on Feb. 28 against then-No. 7 Michigan at Jane B. Moore Field ... The 896 also happened to be the largest crowd ever to watch a Tennessee game at Tyson Park ... Ashley Griffin and Megan Rhodes dueled in the fourth inning of the second game ... The two saw an 11-pitch at bat, where Griffin fouled off seven straight pitches before flying out to right to end the inning.