March 26, 2011
Auburn, Ala. - The No. 22/23 Auburn softball team left a season-high 13 runners on base and committed two errors which led to one run as the Ole Miss Rebels defeated the Tigers 2-1 Saturday to even the series at a win apiece. The teams conclude the series Sunday with a 1 p.m. CT game.
Auburn fell to 27-5 overall and 7-3 in the Southeastern Conference. The loss also snapped the Tigers' program-best 21-game home winning streak at Jane B. Moore Field. Ole Miss improved to 12-23 overall and 2-8 in the SEC.
"We did not come to play with the right mindset today," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "We had several opportunities. I thought Lauren Schmalz pitched a good game. She didn't walk anybody and kept us in the game. Tomorrow has to be different, we have to come out with intensity and get after it."
Lauren Schmalz (11-2) started and went the distance in taking the loss. Schmalz allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
Lindsey Perry (9-3) earned the win in relief. Perry pitched five innings, allowing one run, earned, on five hits with four walks and one strikeout. Kendall Bruning started and went two innings, allowing just two hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
Ole Miss took advantage of a pair of Auburn miscues to score the game's first run in the top of the fourth inning. RT Cantillo singled up the middle, Ole Miss' first hit of the game, to open the inning. Londen Ladner then hit a ground ball to Kyndall White at third, who fielded the ball cleanly but threw high to first allowing Ladner to reach and Cantillo to advance to third.
With Brittany Barnhill at the plate, Schmalz uncorked a wild pitch which allowed Cantillo to score and give the Rebels a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Katie Colton drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a one-out single by Kyndall White. Amber Harrison drew a walk to load the bases. Lauren Guzman followed with a fielder's choice which forced Colton out at home. Elizabeth Eisterhold then held off on a 3-1 pitch and took ball four to force White home and even the game at 1-1. With the bases still loaded, Kelley Smiley ground out to first to end the rally.
The Rebels answered in the top of the sixth. With one out, Brittany Broome reached on an infield single and quickly stole second to move into scoring position. Cantillo followed with a double off the wall in left-center to score Broome and give the Rebels a 2-1 lead. Schmalz halted the Ole Miss rally, forcing a pair of fly-outs to end the inning with just one run crossing the plate.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Tigers attempted to rally. With one out, Guzman laced a single into left. After a failed sacrifice bunt by Eisterhold, Smiley singled through the right side to put runners at second and first with two outs. Kelsey Cartwright followed with a sharp ground ball that went into and out of Ladner's glove at third for an error that loaded the bases. With the tying run at third, Mavromat ground back to Perry who tossed to first for the final out.
The Tigers ended the game having left at least two runners on base in five of the seven innings and at least one runner on base in six of seven innings. The only inning Auburn failed to put a runner on base came in the fourth inning.