April 10, 2011
Starkville, Miss. - Amber Harrison's RBI single drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning and Caitlin Stangl's diving catch in center for the final out clinched a 5-4 victory for the 22nd-ranked Auburn softball team over Mississippi State Sunday afternoon.
Auburn clinched a series victory and improved to 32-9 overall and 11-6 in the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State dropped to 20-21 overall and 8-8 in the SEC.
"This was a great win today," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "I'm really proud of the way this team fought and hustled today. Amber had two huge hits for us. Our defense played great and Jenee did a tremendous job coming out of the bullpen when State had momentum in the sixth inning."
The Tigers and Bulldogs went the first four innings without scoring a run before the teams combined to score eight runs, all on two outs, in the fifth and sixth innings.
Jenee Loree earned the win in relief to improve to 9-3. Loree pitched two and one-third innings, allowing just two hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Lauren Schmalz started and went the first five and two-thirds. Schmalz allowed, four runs, all earned, on four hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. Schmalz held Mississippi State without a hit through five innings.
Kylie Vry (8-10) took the loss in relief. Vry threw one and two-thirds innings, allowing one run, earned, on three hits with no walks or strikeouts. Misty Flesher went two-thirds of an inning, allowing just one hit. Stephanie Becker started for Mississippi State but did not earn a decision. Becker went five and two-thirds, allowing four runs, two earned, on three hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Pitching dominated the first four innings of play as neither team managed a hit. Mississippi State produced the game's only base runner on a leadoff walk in the bottom of the third, but Schmalz never allowed the base runner to advance to second base.
The Tigers broke the offensive drought in the top of the fifth inning. Lauren Guzman got the first hit of the game on a one-out single to center. A ground out to third by Kyndall White moved Guzman to second with two outs. After a walk to Katie Colton, Caitlin Schultze lofted a fly ball to the wall in center that Brittany Gates caught and then dropped. Guzman and Colton each scored on the error to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
Auburn increased its lead in the top of the sixth inning on a two-out, solo home run from Amber Harrison. It was Harrison's sixth home run this season, with all six coming with two outs. Hilary Mavromat made it back-to-back homers as she took Becker's first pitch over the wall in left. It was Mavromat's fifth home run of the season and it pushed the Auburn lead to 4-0. Harrison and Mavromat's homers marked Auburn's first back-to-back shots since Harrison and Kelsey Cartwright did the trick against Middle Tennessee on Feb. 27.
Mississippi State ended Schmalz's no-hit bid and pushed four runs across the plate in the bottom of the sixth. Chelsea Raines doubled to open the bottom of the sixth. Gates followed the double by reaching on a wild pitch on a swinging third strike to give the Bulldogs two on with no outs. Jessica Cooley then loaded the bases on a bunt single that rolled still just to the third base side of the pitching circle.
On a 3-2 pitch, Ali Bainbridge lofted a fly ball to shallow center that Caitlin Stangl caught and fired quickly home to nail Raines attempting to score. Gates moved to third and Cooley to second on the throw. With two outs, Jessica Offutt took Schmalz's 2-2 pitch to left-center for a two-run double, scoring Gates and Cooley to cut the AU lead to 4-2. Schmalz kept the inning going when she hit Kaili Smith on a 2-2 pitch, putting runners at second and first.
With Courtney Nesbit at the plate, Schmalz threw wildly on a 2-2 pitch to advance the runners to third and second. Nesbit then took a 3-2 pitch off the wall in left-center for a two-run single that scored Offutt and Smith to tie the game 4-4. The hit chased Schmalz for Loree, who ended the Mississippi State rally by striking out Sam Lenahan on three pitches.
In the bottom of the seventh, Brittany Bell reached on a one-out bunt single down the first base line. Loree fanned Gates for the second out of the inning, but pushed the winning run to second when she walked Cooley. Bell was then lifted for pinch-runner Rachael Zdeb. An intentional walk to Bainbridge loaded the bases for Offutt. Loree ended the threat, however, when she fanned Offutt on a swinging strike three.
Morgan Estell led off the eighth with a single through the right side and moved to second on Cartwright's sacrifice bunt. Harrison followed with a single back up the middle that scored Estell to give the Tigers a 5-4 lead. Flesher relieved Vry following the RBI single and ended the Tigers' rally with just one run crossing the plate.
In the bottom of the eighth, Loree fanned leadoff hitter Kaili Smith on a swinging strike three for the first out. On a 2-1 pitch, Nesbit laced a double to center to put the tying run aboard. Loree then notched the second out when she forced Lenahan into a ground out to short. Nesbit was unable to advance on the play. Stangl then ended the game with a diving catch in center field on a fly ball from Heidi Shape for the final out.