March 12, 2011
Fayetteville, Ark. - Auburn pitcher Lauren Schmalz struck out a career high 13 batters and freshman Morgan Estell drove in a career high five runs to lead the 24th-ranked Tigers' softball team to a 9-1 victory in six innings over Arkansas Saturday afternoon.
Auburn improved to 21-2 and 2-0 in the Southeastern Conference, while Arkansas moved to 9-14 and 0-2 in the SEC.
"Lauren did a great job going after Arkansas today," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "She battled every pitch and just allowed the one run. She fought and didn't let them get anything going. Morgan Estell, again, stepped up and broke the game open for us. She has done a nice job at the plate this weekend."
Schmalz started and went the distance to earn the victory and move to 10-0 this season. Schmalz allowed one run, earned, on five hits with four walks and 13 strikeouts. The 13 strikeouts surpasses Schmalz's previous career high of 11 which she set against Troy on Feb. 12, this season.
Layne McGuirt started and took the loss for Arkansas to fall to 2-5. McGuirt allowed seven runs, six earned, on seven hits with three walks and one strikeout in four innings of work.
A freshman from Kimberly, Ala., Estell has driven in eight runs in her first two SEC games. Estell drove in three runs in Friday's victory over Arkansas and followed that with five RBI in Saturday's win which clinched a series victory for the Tigers. The five RBI were the most by an Auburn player this season and the most since Kyndall White drove in six runs against Samford on April 7, 2010.
For the second consecutive day the Tigers scored first. Amber Harrison doubled to open the second inning and was followed by a one-out walk to Kelsey Cartwright and a fielder's choice that did not produce an out off the bat of Kelley Smiley. With the bases loaded, Hilary Mavromat took ball four on a 3-2 count to force Harrison home and give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
Caitlin Stangl followed with a single to shallow center that scored Cartwright to make it a 2-0 game. Estell followed with a base-clearing double, her second of the series, that pushed the Auburn lead to 5-0. The three-run double gave Estell six RBI in nine innings of play this weekend.
The Tigers added to their lead in the fourth inning. Mavromat doubled with one out and was lifted for pinch-runner Katie Colton. Stangl followed with a ground ball that was booted by the first baseman, allowing Colton to move to third. Estell brought Colton home with a sac fly that gave the Tigers a 6-0 lead. Kyndall White followed with a single to left that was misplayed by Linnea Ketcher, allowing Stangl to score and make it a 7-0 game.
Arkansas got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth. After a pair of one-out singles and a walk loaded the bases, Brittany Griffiths drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch that forced home pinch-runner Amanda Summerford to make it a 7-1 game. With the bases still loaded, Schmalz fanned the next two Arkansas hitters to end the inning with just one run scoring.
Estell picked up her fifth RBI of the day in the top of the sixth inning. Smiley walked to open the sixth and moved to second on a wild pitch. A single to right from Stangl moved Smiley to third and Estell's second sac fly of the day brought her home to give Auburn an 8-1 lead. White followed with a triple off the wall in right-center that scored Stangl and gave the Tigers the final 9-1 margin of victory.