April 10, 2010
Auburn, Ala. -
The Auburn softball team won game one of a doubleheader against No. 16 Tennessee with a walk-off home run, but lost the second game, both by scores of 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field.
Auburn moved to 22-16 overall and 6-10 in the Southeastern Conference with the split. Tennessee moved to 32-8 overall and 11-4 in the league.
The Tigers and Lady Vols conclude the series with a single game Sunday at 1:06 CT p.m. The game will be televised live by SportSouth, Sun Sports, FOX Sports Southwest, FOX Sports Houston, FOX Sports South in Kentucky. To check for availability in your area go to: http://msn.foxsports.com/tv/schedule.
The game will also be available online at ESPN3, formerly ESPN360, and can be accessed at http://espn.go.com/broadband/espn360/index?id=9048
"These were two very tough, hard-fought games today," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "Kelsey came up with the big hit in the first game after they jumped out to a lead. In the second game, Tennessee got the big hit after we jumped out to a lead. We've got to regroup and come back out focused for Sunday."
In game two, Auburn pitcher Anna Thompson started and took the loss to fall to 12-7. Thompson allowed two runs, both earned, on four hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts.
Cat Hosfield started and earned the win to improve to 13-5. Hosfield gave up one run, unearned, on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Ivy Renfroe picked up her third save of the season after throwing the final 2.0 innings, issuing one walk and striking out one.
Auburn plated the first run of the game when Lauren Guzman singled to left to score pinch-runner Baylee Stephens. Elizabeth Eisterhold singled with one out, was lifted for Stephens, who moved to second on a passed ball. A fielder's choice off Kelsey Cartwright's bat moved Stephens to third, setting up Guzman's RBI single to give Auburn a 1-0 lead.
The Lady Vols took a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning when Kat Dotson crushed a two-run home run over the wall in right. It was Dotson's third home run of the season and came with Kelly Grieve at second after a hard leadoff double to center.
Following Dotson's dinger, Thompson was lifted for Lauren Schmalz with no outs in the sixth. Schmalz retired the next two hitters quickly before giving up a two-out triple. Schmalz ended the inning, without the run scoring, on a fly out to right.
In the bottom of the seventh, Katie Colton reached after getting hit by a pitch with one out. A sacrifice bunt by Krista Clyde moved her into scoring position at second base with two outs. Kyndall White drew an intentional walk to put the winning run at first. But Renfroe got Caitlin Stangl to pop out to second to end the game and preserve the 2-1 win for Tennessee.
In game one, freshman Kelsey Cartwright's first career home run gave Auburn a 2-1 walk-off victory over No. 16 Tennessee in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Auburn improved to 22-15 overall and 6-9 in the SEC. Tennessee fell to 31-8 overall and 10-4 in the SEC.
Auburn reliever Lauren Schmalz earned the win to move to 2-0 on the season. Schmalz tossed 3.1 innings of scoreless ball, allowing the Lady Vols only two hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Angel Bunner started and went 3.2 innings, allowing one run, unearned, on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Cat Hosfield (12-5) took the loss in relief, going 3.0 IP and allowing one run, earned, on two hits. Ivy Renfroe started and went 3.0 innings, allowing one run, earned, on three hits with four strikeouts.
The Lady Vols took advantage of an Auburn error to score the game's first run. With two outs in the fourth, Kat Dotson chopped a ground ball to Kelsey Cartwright at second who threw wide of first allowing Dotson to reach. After a balk moved Dotson to second, Tiffany Huff drilled a single off the wall in left-center to score Dotson and give Tennessee a 1-0 lead.
Jessica Spigner followed with a single to left to put runners on first and second and chase Bunner from the game. Schmalz came in for Bunner who fanned Lauren Gibson to end the inning.
The Tigers pulled even in the bottom of the fourth inning as Caitlin Stangl and Amber Harrison had consecutive doubles to put runners at third and second to open the frame. With one out, Cartwright scored Stangl from third with a ground out to short to even the game at 1-1.
After relieving Bunner in the fourth, Schmalz scattered a pair of hits and walked only one to keep the Lady Vols off the scoreboard.
In the bottom of the seventh, Cartwright led off and took the first pitch from Hosfield off the top of the scoreboard for a walk-off home run. It was Auburn's fourth consecutive game with a home run, tying for the fifth longest streak in team history.