March 12, 2008
Auburn, Ala. - Myesha Finney's three-run home run capped a five-run outburst and propelled the Auburn softball team to an 8-0 victory over 15th-ranked Mississippi State Wednesday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field. The win earned the Tigers a series victory over Mississippi State and improved Auburn's record to 22-4 overall and 2-1 in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs fell to 22-6 overall and 1-2 in the SEC. "I'm really proud of our team's effort today," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "We had good run production from the top, middle and bottom part of our batting order. Brittany Day did an outstanding job pitching, holding them to only two hits. It was just a great effort all the way around." Day moved to 6-1 on the season after throwing 5.0 innings and surrendering just two hits and no walks. Day struck out seven in the effort. In 9.0 innings of work against the Bulldogs, Day allowed two hits, had 11 strikeouts and earned two wins. Misty Flesher (7-4) took the loss for Mississippi State after giving up two runs, both earned, on three hits in 1.1 innings of work. Kyndall White put the Tigers on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning. Starr Dorsey singled to open the frame and moved to second on Krista Clyde's sacrifice bunt. After a passed ball put Dorsey on third, White singled sharply up the middle to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. The Tigers' offense got on a roll from there. Cassie Trosclair reached on an error to put two on with one out. Brittany Scott singled to drive in White. Myesha Finney then drilled a three-run home run over the wall in left to push the Auburn lead to 5-0. It was Finney's second home run of the season and fourth of her career. Auburn took advantage of another Bulldogs' error to plate a run in the third. With two outs, Clyde hit a fly ball to right, but the centerfielder collided with Brittany Bell the right fielder allowing the ball to drop. Clyde then came in to score on Trosclair's single to left for a 6-0 Auburn lead. Senior Jorja Bell gave the Tigers an 8-0 lead in the fourth with a two-run double. Taryn Gray singled and moved to second when Tatiana Fernandez walked. Bell then laced a pitch into the gap in left-center plate two runs to give her 17 RBI on the season. Day would allow a one-out single in the fifth before striking out the final two batters to end the game. The victory gave the Tigers their first series win over a ranked SEC team since sweeping then 16th-ranked Florida on April 26-27 in 2005.