April 14, 2007
AUBURN - The Auburn softball team dropped the first game of a three-game series, 3-0, and was down 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth in the second game before it was halted due to weather.
The teams will restart the second game at 11 a.m. CT Sunday before finishing the series with the regularly scheduled finale approximately 20 minutes later. Florida holds a 4-0 lead after a home run by Melissa Zick in the second and a two-run single by Mary Ratliff in the fourth.
In game one, Stacey Nelson carried a perfect game into the seventh inning, eventually throwing a one-hitter in a 3-0 Florida (33-17 overall, 9-9 SEC) win.
Nelson was perfect through six before Ashley Arcuri lined a single to left center for the Tigers' (19-26, 6-14 SEC) first hit. Arcuri moved to third after consecutive ground outs but was stranded at third when Nelson induced a third ground out, ending the game.
Nelson needed just 86 pitches to improve to 20-10 this season. She struck out six.
Ratliff provided the game's offense with one swing of the bat in the sixth. She lined a pitch from Auburn starter Anna Thompson over the left field fence for a three-run shot, her third of the season.
Thompson took the loss to drop to 11-12 this season. She struck out six and walked three while scattering three hits. The three runs in the sixth were unearned.
Catch tomorrow's games live on WZMG-AM (910) and www.auburntigers.com.