April 28, 2007
AUBURN - Anna Thompson threw 12 scoreless innings, striking out 21 as the Auburn softball team swept a doubleheader from South Carolina Saturday at Jane B. Moore Field. Thompson struck out 11 and allowed just one hit in the first game, an 8-0 Tiger win in five innings. In game two, the freshman struck out 10 as Auburn held on for a 1-0 win.
The wins improved Auburn's record to 24-30 this season and 9-18 in Southeastern Conference play. South Carolina, meanwhile, is 32-20 and 10-14 in SEC play.
"Anna threw two impressive games when we really needed two great outings," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "She took on a South Carolina team we are battling for the final spot in the SEC Tournament and kept us in it. She is really showing maturity as a freshman."
In game one, Thompson struck out 11, allowing just a single to McKenna Hughes in the first. The Huntsville, Ala., native retired the last 10 batters she faced, including six by strikeout, in the five-inning win.
Holly Currie paced the Tiger offense with three hits and two runs batted in, while Nicole Russo's fourth-inning double scored three and put Auburn up, 4-0.
The Tigers scored four more in the fifth off South Carolina starter Melissa Hendon and reliever Whitney Wierzbicki. Hendon allowed six hits and five runs over four innings to drop to 16-13 this season.
Brittany Scott also had two hits in the game one win, in which the Tigers pounded out 10 hits.
In game two, Currie's run-scoring double proved to the difference as Thompson again controlled the South Carolina offense. She worked a full seven innings, striking out 10 for her 14th double-digit strikeout effort of the season.
Thompson scattered three hits in the win while walking two. The two victories improved Thompson's record to 13-15 this season and marked her first in SEC play since March 27 at Arkansas.
The Tigers manufactured the game's only run. Lauren Walton, who went 3 for 3 in the second game victory, reached on an infield single in the first and moved to second on a stolen base. Two batters later, Currie drove her in with a double to the right center gap.
Kate Pouliot worked a full six innings for South Carolina, scattering five hits and a run while striking out five. She dropped to 14-6 this season.
The teams will conclude the three-game series with a solo contest Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. Catch the games live on the Internet at www.auburntigers.com and by tuning into WZMG-AM (910).
Tiger Notes: Holly Currie now has 17 career hits in 13 games against South Carolina after posting four in the games Saturday ... Anna Thompson now has 283 strikeouts this season, which is just three off tying Holly Currie (2006) for second-most in a single season at Auburn ... Lauren Walton's three hits in game two marked her seventh multiple-hit effort of the season while Currie's three hits in game one marked her team-leading 10th ... Currie has 51 career multiple-hit games for her career ... She also has 35 multiple-RBI efforts.