Feb. 12, 2011
Ala. State Box Score 
| Troy Box Score
Birmingham, Ala. - The Auburn softball team hit five home runs in a 12-1 win over Alabama State and got a career-best 11 strikeouts from pitcher Lauren Schmalz to defeat Troy 2-1 in the opening day of the All-Alabama Classic tournament Saturday.
Auburn (2-0) will take on Jacksonville State at 11 a.m. and Samford at 1:30 p.m. in the final day of the tournament Sunday.
"I was very pleased with how we played today overall," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "We came out and really swung the bats well in the first game against Alabama State. Our hitters did a great job. Then we came back and beat a very good pitcher for Troy. Lauren (Schmalz) threw a great game for us and did a terrific job of keeping them off balance the whole game."
In the first game of the day, Auburn hit five home runs to cruise to a 12-1 victory over Alabama State in five innings. Jenee Loree (1-0) earned the win in relief of starter Angel Bunner. Bunner went 2.0 innings giving up one unearned run on two hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Loree pitched the final 3.0 innings, holding the Hornets hitless and walking just one to go with seven strikeouts.
Morgan Estell led off the bottom of the first with her first home run as a Tiger, taking the second pitch of the at-bat over the fence in center for a 1-0 Auburn lead.
Alabama State took advantage of an Auburn error with the bases loaded to tie the game in the top of the second inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Ayesha Famble hit a roller back to Bunner who flipped the ball home. But, catcher Elizabeth Eisterhold was ruled to have bobbled the ball, allowing Sosefina Toilo to score and even the game at 1-1.
Kelsey Cartwright quickly gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead with a home run to lead off the bottom of the second inning. Leading 2-1 in the bottom of the third, Cartwright crunched her second home run of the day with a two-run shot to left for a 4-1 Auburn lead. Lauren Guzman, who doubled with one out, scored on the play.
Auburn extended its lead to 12-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning when the Tigers pushed eight runs across the plate, all with two outs.
Guzman laced a two-out single up the middle to score Kelley Smiley (single) and Estell (single) which made it a 6-1 game. Amber Harrison followed with a home run to right to make it 8-1. After a single by Cartwright and a walk to Eisterhold, freshman Hilary Mavromat launched a home run to center to push the Auburn lead to 11-1. It was Auburn's fifth home run of the game.
Still in the fourth inning, Katie Colton drew a walk and came around to score on a double to the wall by pinch-hitter Lauren Schmalz. In her first career at-bat, Schmalz picked up her first hit and first RBI which gave Auburn the final 12-1 margin.
In game two, Auburn pitcher Lauren Schmalz struck out a career high 11 batters and Elizabeth Eisterhold drove in the winning run in the sixth inning as Auburn defeated Troy 2-1.
Schmalz (1-0) tossed a complete game, allowing one run (earned) on three hits with one walk and 11 strikeouts. The 11 K's eclipsed Schmalz's previous high of seven set in 2010 against Georgia State.
Ashlyn Williams (1-1) started and went the distance for Troy, allowing two runs, both earned, on five hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts.
Nikki Hollett gave Troy a 1-0 lead with a two-out, solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.
Kyndall White tied the game for the Tigers with a two-out double to center that scored Morgan Estell from second. It was White's first hit of the day and came after Estell reached on an infield single and stole second to move into scoring position.
Both pitchers settled into grooves as the score remained deadlocked going into the sixth inning. In the top of the sixth, Williams fanned Lauren Guzman and Amber Harrison for the first two outs. Kelsey Cartwright laced a single to left and came around to score on a double to the wall in center by Eisterhold to give Auburn a 2-1 lead.
Schmalz worked out of trouble in the bottom of the sixth. Kacie McAllister opened the inning with a single up the middle and moved to second on a sac bunt by Michelle Hewett. With the tying run in scoring position Schmalz fanned the next two batters to end the inning with the lead intact.
In the bottom of the seventh, Hayden Gann led off and reached on a ground ball that was misplayed by Cartwright at second. Sarah Harris followed and put down an attempted sac bunt, but Kyndall White fielded and fired to second to nail Ashley Adkins who pinch-ran for Gann. The Tigers got another fielder's choice out for the second out of the inning before Schmalz fanned Taylor Smartt for the final out of the game.