March 14, 2010
Auburn, Ala. - Caitlin Stangl's bases-loaded single in the ninth inning gave the Auburn softball team a 1-0 win over Kentucky to split a Sunday double-header and give the Tigers a series win, two games to one.
The Tigers improved to 15-7 overall and 2-1 in the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky fell to 15-8 overall and 1-2 in SEC play. Auburn returns to action Wednesday, March 17, with a double-header against No. 4 Florida in Gainesville. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. CT.
"I am so proud of our team for hanging tough and battling today," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "Caitlin came through in a big way for us today. She did the same last night with the two-run home run. Anna threw the ball extremely well, again, and did a tremendous job keeping their hitters off balance."
Both starting pitchers went the distance. Auburn hurler Anna Thompson went 9.0 innings, scattering seven hits, walking three and striking out nine. Thompson earned the win to improve to 7-4 on the season.
Rachel Riley took the loss for Kentucky to drop to 4-2. Riley allowed one run, earned, on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 8.1 innings of work.
In the bottom of the ninth inning with a scoreless tie, Kelsey Cartwright singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Krista Clyde. Katie Colton got a single through the left side to move Cartwright to third and Lindsey Harrelson loaded the bases on a bunt single.
Stangl then followed with a single off the pitcher that scooted through the middle of the infield to score Cartwright with the game winning run.
In game one, Kentucky put up three runs in the fourth inning to break a tie game and held on for a 5-3 win. Chanda Bell (9-4) earned the win in relief, after going 4.0 innings and allowing just two hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Angel Bunner (5-2) started and took the loss for Auburn. Bunner allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits in 4.0 IP.
Kentucky got on the board in the top of the second inning. With one out, Meagan Aull singled and then stole second. A single by Kara Dill moved Aull to third and a passed ball on a swinging strike allowed Aull to score and give UK a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers responded in the bottom of the second with a two-out solo home run from Lauren Guzman that tied the game at 1-1. It marked the second consecutive game Guzman had gone yard after hitting a solo shot in the first game of the series Saturday. It was Guzman's third home run of the season.
The Wildcats broke the tie in the fourth inning. Rachel Riley singled to open the fourth and moved to second when Aull was hit by a pitch. Bunner retired the next two hitters, but Destinee Mordecai smacked a three-run home run over the wall in right to give Kentucky a 4-1 edge.
The Tigers, again, responded to the Wildcats rally in the bottom half of the fourth. Caitlin Stangl drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a single by Amber Harrison. Elizabeth Eisterhold put down a sacrifice bunt, that was fielded by Samantha DeMartine who threw to third attempting to get Stangl.
The throw was wide, but was booted by left fielder Annie Rowlands who was backing up the play. The error on Rowlands allowed Stangl and Harrison to score to make it a 4-3 game. Bell was then brought in to pitch for Kentucky with Eisterhold at third and no outs. Bell quickly retired the next three AU hitters to hold the one-run lead.
Kentucky tacked on a run in the top of the seventh when Molly Johnson cranked a leadoff home run off the top of the scoreboard in left-center. It gave the Wildcats a 5-3 lead.
After giving up a leadoff double to Katie Colton in the bottom of the seventh, Bell retired the Tigers in order to end the game.