Feb. 27, 2011
Auburn, Ala. - Amber Harrison tied a career high with four RBI and hit a pair of home runs to lead the Auburn softball team to a 10-0 victory in five innings over Middle Tennessee in the final game of the War Eagle Classic Sunday afternoon. Auburn completed the tournament as the only unbeaten team, going 5-0 on the weekend.
The win also extended Auburn's program-best winning streak to 15 games as the Tigers remained unbeaten this season, improving to 15-0. Middle Tennessee moved to 4-7 after the loss.
"Overall I am really proud of the way we played this weekend," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "We played aggressively on offense and really put pressure on the other teams. We swung the bats well up-and-down the line-up. Our pitchers did a great job of not allowing other teams to get anything going. They didn't walk very many and they threw strikes. We're going to give the team some time off the next day or two and then get ready for a big challenge in Oklahoma next weekend."
The Tigers will take a break from midweek games and hit the road next weekend to play No. 6 Oklahoma on March 4 in Norman, and No. 19 Oklahoma State on March 5 and 6. The Tigers will play Oklahoma State as part of double-header in Oklahoma City on March 5. Auburn will play Illinois-Chicago in the first game of the twin bill. The Tigers will then travel to Stillwater to play Oklahoma State on March 6.
Against Middle Tennessee, the Tigers scored 10 runs on 10 hits and hit three home runs. The only blemish in the game came when freshman Hilary Mavromat was called out and ejected from the game for a line-up violation. Mavromat wore number 23 in the game, but was listed as number 6 on the line-up card.
Jenee Loree earned the win against MTSU to improve to 3-0 this season. Loree scattered three hits, struck out eight and did not issue a walk in five innings of work. After allowing a two-out double in the first inning, Loree struck out the next five consecutive batters as Auburn built its lead.
Shelby Stinnett took the loss to fall to 2-1. Stinnett started and went just two-thirds of an inning, allowing five runs, all earned, on five hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Auburn scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Morgan Estell opened the Auburn half with a bunt single and moved to second on Lauren Guzman's sac bunt. Kyndall White reached on a hard-hit infield single to put two on with one out. Elizabeth Eisterhold followed with a double down the line in left to score Estell for a 1-0 lead.
Harrison drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases following Eisterhold's double. Cartwright drove White and Eisterhold home with a single to right to make it a 3-0 game. Cartwright took second on the throw, while Harrison moved to third. Following a strikeout, Katie Colton ripped a single through the right side to score both runners and push the lead to 5-0 for the Tigers.
The Tigers increased their lead in the second inning on Harrison's three-run home run that hit off the scoreboard in left-center. It was Harrison's second home run of the season and ninth of her career. It came with Estell (walk) and Guzman (single) aboard and gave Auburn an 8-0 lead.
Immediately following Harrison's homer, Cartwright followed with a rocket-shot home run to left that gave Auburn a 9-0 margin. It was Cartwright's fourth home run this season and marked the second time Auburn had gone back-to-back this season.
Harrison notched her first career multi-home run game with a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth inning. Harrison's solo blast sailed over the fence in right and gave the Tigers the final 10-run margin of victory.