March 29, 2009
Auburn, Ala. - The Auburn softball team split its Sunday double-header with South Carolina, winning game one 12-4 and losing game two 5-0.
The Tigers' record now stands at 25-10, 5-4 in the Southeastern Conference. South Carolina is 14-15, 2-13 in the SEC. Auburn returns to action Wednesday, April 1, when it hosts No. 1 Florida in a double-header. Game one is slated for a 4 p.m. CT start.
"We showed a lot of fight in the first game, coming back from a couple of deficits," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "We never let them hold a lead for long. Unfortunately, they fought back and won the second game. We just never got anything going in that one."
In game two, Audrey Broyles (8-7) threw a complete-game shutout to earn the win. Broyles scattered six hits over seven innings with one walk and eight strikeouts.
Anna Thompson took the loss to fall to 12-6. Thompson allowed two runs, both earned, on three hits in 4.0 innings of work. Thompson struck out six and walked three. Holly Ragsdale threw the final 3.0 innings, allowing three runs, none earned, on three hits.
South Carolina took the lead in the top of the fourth inning. P.J. Fulmer walked to open the inning and moved to third on a double by Jill Semento. Lindsay Walker followed with a single to center that scored Fulmer and gave the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead. After a pair of strikeouts, Lauren Lackey made it a 2-0 lead with a single to the left side that plated Semento from third.
The Gamecocks widened the gap in the fifth inning, pushing three runs across. Fulmer reached on a dropped fly ball by Lindsey Harrelson and Semento walked to load the bases. Kaitlin Westfall tripled to center to score all three runners and give South Carolina a 5-0 lead.
That would cap the scoring as Broyles never allowed the Tigers to mount a rally, holding Auburn to just three hits over the final three innings and allowing just one runner to advance into scoring position.
The Tigers pounded out 12 runs on 11 hits to take game one of the day 12-4 in six innings.
Jenee Loree earned the win to move to 10-3. Loree allowed four runs, all earned, on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
Kierstyn White took the loss for South Carolina to fall to 5-2. White allowed nine runs, five earned, on eight hits in 3.2 innings of work. Kelsey Goodwin threw 1.1 innings of relief, giving up three runs, all earned, on three hits with two walks and one strikeouts.
The Gamecocks jumped on the board in the top of the first inning. Adele Voigt reached on a one-out walk and moved to second on a sac bunt by Kristen Stubblefield. P.J. Fulmer then drove Voigt home with a single through the left side to give South Carolina a 1-0 lead.
South Carolina increased their lead in the second inning. Evan Childs drew a one-out walk and moved to second on an infield single by Kandyce Redondo. With two outs, Lauren Mendes hit a seeing-eye single up the middle to score both runners and give the Gamecocks a 3-0 edge.
Auburn took advantage of two South Carolina miscues to tie the game in the third inning. With one out, Tatiana Fernandez reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. A walk to Elizabeth Eisterhold and an infield single by Taryn Gray loaded the bases. Amber Harrison laced a single into right-center to score Megan Mitchell, who pinch-ran for Fernandez, and Eisterhold.
Gray moved to third on the play and then came around to score on a passed ball. Gray's run made it a 3-3 game.
The Tigers took the lead in the fourth inning. Myesha Finney walked to open the frame and moved to third on a single through the left side by Kyndall White. With two outs, Fernandez hit a ground ball through the hole on the right side to score Finney and give Auburn a 4-3 lead.
The lead was short lived for the Tigers as South Carolina tied the game in the top of the fifth. Stubblefield reached on a throwing error by White at third, stole second and moved to third on a sac bunt. Jill Semento brought Stubblefield home with a ground out to short to even the score at 4-4.
The Tigers regained the lead in the bottom half of the fifth. Harrison walked with one out and then stole second. Lauren Guzman singled to move Harrison to third and Finney was intentionally walked to load the bases. Lindsey Harrelson then hit an infield single up the middle that scored Harrison and Guzman for a 6-4 AU lead.
White followed with a sharp single to left to score Finney and push the Auburn lead to 7-4. Fernandez then made it an 8-4 game with a single to right that plated Harrelson from second.
Auburn continued the scoring in the sixth inning. Gray reached on an error when the Semento dropped the throw from second. Consecutive singles by Harrison and Guzman loaded the bases for Cassie Trosclair, who got Gray home with a ground ball to second. Trosclair was safe on the play as Semento again dropped the throw.
Finney then forced Harrison home when she was hit by a pitch for the third time in the game. Harrison's run made it 10-4. Two more walks pushed across two more runs as the Tigers ended the game on the mercy rule 12-4.