April 4, 2009
Fayetteville, Ark. - The Auburn softball team split a double-header against the Arkansas Razorbacks, winning game one 4-3 and losing game two 4-2, Saturday in the first two games of a three games series in Fayetteville.
Auburn moved to 26-13 overall and 6-7 in the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas is 22-15 overall and 9-6 in the SEC. The teams conclude the series with an 11 a.m. game Sunday.
"I thought Anna (Thompson) did a really good job in the first game today," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "She made it tough on the Arkansas hitters. Elizabeth came through with a big hit too. Offensively in the second game, we just didn't get anything going. We've got to come out tomorrow ready to go."
In game two, Miranda Dixon earned the win to improve to 14-4. Dixon allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts in a complete-game effort.
Jenee Loree took the loss to fall to 10-5. Loree gave up four runs, all earned, on five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts.
Auburn took the early lead when Taryn Gray singled home Amber Harrison with one out in the top of the second inning. Harrison singled through the left side to open the inning and then stole second to get into scoring position. A passed ball on catcher Whitney Cloer moved Harrison to third and Gray then singled up the middle to give Auburn a 1-0 lead.
Arkansas took the lead in the bottom of the third with a two-out rally. After the first two hitters of the inning were retired, Jessica Bachkora was hit by a pitch and moved to second when Tori Mort walked. Cloer then laced a triple down the line in right to score both runners and give the Hogs a 2-1 lead.
The Tigers rallied in the top of the fourth. Tatiana Fernandez was hit by a pitch to open the inning and lifted for pinch-runner Katie Colton. Harrison walked and, with Elizabeth Eisterhold batting, the double steal was put on to move Colton to third and Harrison to second. After Eisterhold struck out, Gray laced a single to right to score Colton and tie the game at 2-2.
Bachkora gave the Hogs the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning with an RBI single to center. The hit drove in Hillary Freeman who pinch-ran for Sandra Smith, who singled to begin the frame. Bachkora was able to move to second when Harrison booted the relay throw from center on run-scoring single.
A bunt single by Mort put runners on first and third with one out. Cloer then drew a walk to load the bases and with two outs, a wild pitch to Brittany Robison brought Bachkora home to give the Hogs a 4-2 lead.
After plating a run in the fourth, the Tigers were unable to mount a scoring threat as Dixon held them in check. Dixon retired the side in order in the seventh to seal the win for Arkansas.
Elizabeth Eisterhold's RBI single in the top of the eighth inning gave the Tigers a 4-3 win over the Razorbacks in game one of the day.
Anna Thompson moved to 13-7 with the win after throwing all eight innings. Thompson fanned 13hitters on the day with no walks and allowed three runs, all earned, on five hits.
Kim Jones took the loss for Arkansas to fall to 6-7. Jones allowed four runs, all earned, on nine hits in eight innings of work.
Playing under sunny skies, but with strong sustained winds of 23 mph and gusts up to 33 mph that blew out to left field, Arkansas got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning when Amie Hubbard hit a solo home run to left that gave Arkansas a 1-0 lead. The shot came with two outs and was Hubbard's third home run of the season.
The Tigers evened the score in the fourth inning. Myesha Finney doubled to left-center to open the inning and moved to third on a single through the right side by Tatiana Fernandez. Aurora Salter then pinch-ran for Fernandez.
Amber Harrison brought Finney home with a sac fly to right to tie the game at 1-1. With Salter at first and one out, Jones was able to keep the Tigers from pushing across another run as she got Taryn Gray to pop out to shallow left and Elizabeth Eisterhold to strike out swinging to end the inning.
The Razorbacks regained the lead in the bottom half of the fourth, with both runs coming with two outs. Whitney Cloer singled with one out and, after Kayla Johnson struck out swinging, Miranda Dixon hit a two-run home run to left that gave the Hogs a 3-1 edge. It was Dixon's fifth home run of the season.
Auburn, again, rallied to tie the game, this time pushing across two runs in the top of the fifth. Cassie Trosclair singled with one out to begin the rally. Kyndall White and Lindsey Harrelson followed with consecutive singles to load the bases with one out.
After Finney struck out, Fernandez hit a sharp single up the middle to score Trosclair and White to even the game at 3-3. Jones then got Harrison to ground out to end the inning with Harrelson stranded at third.
In the eighth, Fernandez singled to center and moved to second on a sac bunt by Harrison. Pinch-hitter Morgan Murphy then hit a single back up the middle to move Fernandez to third with one out. Eisterhold then delivered a sharp single to center to score Fernandez for the go-ahead run.
Thompson allowed a one-out single in the bottom half of the eighth, but never allowed the runner to advance into scoring position as she shut the door on the Razorbacks to seal the victory.