April 14, 2009
Auburn, Ala. - The South Alabama Jaguars scored three runs in the top of the 10th inning to come away with a 3-1 victory over the Auburn softball team Tuesday night at Jane B. Moore Field.
Auburn dropped to 27-17 overall, while South Alabama improved to 22-20-1. The Tigers return to action this weekend with a three-game series against No. 7 Georgia at Jane B. Moore Field. First pitch of the double-header is slated for 4 p.m. Saturday. Sunday's single-game finale will begin at 1 p.m.
"This was a tough loss," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "Anna did a great job tonight, we just couldn't get that big hit when we had to have it."
Anna Thompson took the loss for Auburn to fall to 13-9. Thompson went 9.1 innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on two hits with four walks and 12 strikeouts. Jenee Loree went the final two-thirds of the 10th inning, surrendering two hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Beth Pilgrim improved to 13-10 after throwing a complete game to earn the win. Pilgrim threw 10.0 innings, allowing one unearned run on six hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts.
After nine scoreless innings, South Alabama plated the first run of the game in the top of the 10th inning. With Marissa Boyd placed at second with the tie-breaker rule, Kelsey Volz walked and Kait Chernomaz singled her home to give the Jaguars a 1-0 lead. Thompson was then lifted for Loree
Loree gave up back-to-back singles, including an RBI single to Katie McGuire that plated Volz to give South Alabama a 2-0 lead. Loree then hit Carolina Mendoza with the bases loaded to force home Chernomaz and push the lead to 3-0.
In the bottom of the 10th, Katie Colton was placed at second and moved to third on Cassie Trosclair's one-out single to right. With two outs, Lindsey Harrelson brought Colton home with a double off the wall in left to make it a 3-1 game. With runners at second and third Pilgrim then got Myesha Finney to strike out swinging to end the game and preserve the win for South Alabama.