March 17, 2007
AUBURN - Holly Currie posted three strikeouts in the second game of a doubleheader to set the Auburn career record, but the Tigers dropped a doubleheader to Ole Miss, 3-2 and 4-2, Saturday in front of 936 at Jane B. Moore Field.
Currie struck out Ashley Dowdy on a 2-2 count in the fourth inning of game two to give her 730 for her career, setting the new AU standard. She surpassed Kristen Keyes, who struck out 727 from 2002-04.
"That is a great record for Holly to have," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "It is a testament to her hard work, perseverance and dedication throughout her softball career, especially her four years at Auburn."
Currie, however, was saddled with the loss in game two, dropping to 5-8 this season, in game two after allowing four hits and two runs in 4 2/3 innings of relief. She came on in the third for starter Brittany Day, who worked the first 2 1/3 innings, striking out three while scattering four Ole Miss hits. Day allowed two runs.
Auburn took an early lead in game two, going up 2-0 in the first when Tatiana Fernandez homered to left. The shot was Fernandez's fourth of the season and scored Brittany Scott, who singled to start the game.
Ole Miss (12-16 overall, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) went on to chip at the Tigers' lead. Emily Sarver tripled to left with one out in the third, scoring the Rebels' first run of the game. Lisa Conchos, the next batter, chased Day with a single to left, which scored Sarver, tying the game.
The Rebels went ahead for good in the fifth. Currie got the first batter of the inning, Courtnie Ghinaudo, to fly out to left, but allowed Lauren Rowe to double to right. Three batters later, and with Sarver and Conchos on base, Mary Jane Callahan doubled down the left field line, scoring Rowe and Sarver.
Scott paced the Tigers (13-17, 2-5 SEC) with three hits in game two.
Tara Willitt improved to 4-2 this season, working five innings. She scattered eight hits and two runs while striking out five and walking two. Becky Nye came on in relief in the sixth and picked up her third save of the season after holding the Tigers hitless.
In game one, the Tigers rallied with two runs in the fifth but could not overcome Ole Miss' three runs in the top half of the inning and fell, 3-2.
Ole Miss began the game's scoring with a bases-clearing triple by Dowdy. The liner to left barely eluded Scott's glove and chased Auburn starter Anna Thompson, who ended the game with six strikeouts and seven walks. Thompson, who worked 4 2/3 innings, saw all three Auburn runs unearned to fall to 8-8 this season.
Down 3-0 entering the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers methodically scored two runs to pull within one. Ashley Arcuri singled up the middle and moved to second when Scott's bunt barely eluded the glove of third baseman Lauren Grill. Both moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Myesha Finney. Auburn's next batter, Currie, reached on an error, allowing Arcuri to score from third.
Fernandez capped Auburn's scoring with a bloop single to right, allowing Scott to come in from third.
Arcuri paced Auburn with two hits, her fourth multiple-hit game of the season.
Callahan started and picked up the win for Ole Miss to improve to 8-5. She scattered seven hits and two runs while striking out five and walking one.
Auburn and Ole Miss conclude the three-game series with a single contest Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. The game will be carried live on WZMG-AM (910) and www.auburntigers.com.
Tiger Notes: The Tigers wore their blue uniforms for both games and are now 6-7 in them this season ... Holly Currie is also the Auburn all-time record holder with 130 pitching appearances and 98 starts ... Currie also joined Kristen Keyes as the second Tiger to surpass 600 career innings ... Currie has worked 603 innings in four seasons ... Whitney Wyatt started the first game of her career in the second game ... She batted in the sixth slot and served as the designated player.