Feb. 24, 2007
Southern Illinois Box Score Hofstra Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ga. - Whitney Wyatt stepped up to the plate for just the fourth time in her career Saturday. The freshman from Dublin, Ala., made it count, hitting a three-run, pinch hit home run in the sixth inning to propel Auburn to a 4-2 victory over Hofstra in the Tigers' second game Saturday at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
The win followed a 3-2, nine-inning loss to Southern Illinois in Auburn's first game of the day Saturday. The win over the Pride put Auburn at 7-9 overall this season and 2-2 in four games at the tournament.
Auburn must now wait until the conclusion of pool play at the NFCA Leadoff Classic to determine what bracket the Tigers will be assigned to for the team's two games Sunday. Once that is established, expected to be late Saturday night, the Tigers will begin to prepare for their first opponent.
"Whitney really sent us into bracket play with momentum," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "Hofstra, like Southern Illinois, made it to the postseason last year, and they played us tough. This is the break we've been looking for so far this season."
Auburn entered the bottom of the sixth down two, 2-0, after Hofstra (4-6) scored two runs in the top half of the inning. The Tigers came back methodically, starting with consecutive singles by Sara Ghezzi and Tatiana Fernandez.
Krista Klein then drove in the team's first run of the game with a single to left, and moved up a base on a ground out by Jorja Bell. Two batters later, Wyatt, pinch hitting for Lindsey Harrelson, took an 0-2 pitch from Hofstra reliever Joanna Kralowetz and went the other way, clearing the right field fence.
Anna Thompson, who started the game and struck out nine in a complete-game effort, got out of a jam to close out the game in the seventh. She improved to 4-5 this season after taking the loss against Southern Illinois earlier in the day.
In that game, the Tigers and Salukis (11-2) continued an Auburn trend. The Tigers went into extra frames for the third time in two days to start Saturday, losing to Southern Illinois, 3-2, in nine innings.
Katie Wagner blooped a single into shallow center field, scoring Lauren Haas from third to end the game with one out in the ninth.
"That was a tough loss," Deese said. "We had them where we wanted them but couldn't close it out. You have to give credit to Southern Illinois' offense. Our pitchers did throw well but just could not finish them off. This will be a learning experience."
Both the Tigers and Salukis scored their first runs of the game courtesy of the solo home run. Katie Wilson put Southern Illinois on the board in the second with a shot over the left field fence.
Ghezzi duplicated Wilson's feat by going the other way in the fourth. The solo shot was Ghezzi's second of the season and marked the team's first run of the tournament in the first seven innings.
The Tigers took advantage of a Southern Illinois error in the top of the seventh to take a 2-1 lead. Fernandez singled off the first baseman's glove to start the inning, and was pinch run for by Brittany Scott. Ashley Arcuri then reached on a throwing error by the Saluki third baseman which allowed Scott to come around from first on a close play at the plate.
Southern Illinois, however, tied the game in the bottom half of the inning off three Tiger pitchers. Wagner doubled to right center off reliever Holly Currie, tying the game at two. Thompson immediately came on in relief of Currie, walking a batter before striking out two with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Brittany Day started her second game of the season and worked six innings, scattering three hits and two runs while striking out one. She also finished the game with five fielding assists, the most of any Auburn player this season.
"Brittany threw well today, really keeping Southern Illinois on its toes," Deese said. "She fielded her position very well and became an extra defensive weapon for us."
Auburn will continue play at the NFCA Leadoff Classic Sunday in bracket play. Times and opponents for each bracket will be finalized at the continuation of Saturday's pool play. Check www.auburntigers.com for Auburn's schedule or www.nfca.org for a full-tournament overview.
Tiger Notes: The Tigers wore their blue uniforms for the games and are now 3-3 in them this season ... Sara Ghezzi's home run in the first game gave her 15 for her career and moved her into sole possession of ninth place in Tiger history ... Ghezzi also started both games Saturday, giving her 202 career games played, 200 of which she has started ... Ghezzi is just the seventh Tiger to start 200 or more in a career ... Brittany Day, in game one, posted an assist or putout in Southern Illinois' first four at bats.