March 11, 2012
Auburn, Ala. - Elizabeth Eisterhold drove in three runs while pitcher Jenee Loree tossed her second no-hitter of the season as No. 20/19 Auburn softball defeated Presbyterian 8-0 in five innings.
Auburn improved to 21-3 with the win and remained unbeaten at home this season. The Tigers completed the War Eagle Classic with a 5-0 record. Auburn will next travel to Baton Rouge for a midweek double-header with No. 24/20 LSU on Wednesday. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. CT.
"This was a really good weekend for us," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "We were able to get a lot of players some at-bats and time in the field. Obviously, Liz (Eisterhold) had a great weekend. It seemed like she was driving in a run every time she came to the plate. Jenee was tremendous today. Throwing two no-hitters in a season is a special accomplishment because they aren't easy to come by. Now it's time to take it up a notch. Conference play starts and everything gets tougher, more intense and doing the little things makes a bigger impact."
Eisterhold's three-RBI performance capped a successful weekend at the plate for the senior. In five games, Eisterhold hit .600 (9-for-15) with 12 RBI, one double, three home runs, seven runs scored and a .647 on-base percentage. Eisterhold's three home runs gave her 29 for her career, moving her into fourth place in the Auburn career record books.
Against Presbyterian, Eisterhold delivered an RBI, driving in Brooke Lathan in the bottom of the first inning. Lathan doubled with one out and came home on Eisterhold's single up the middle to give Auburn a 1-0 lead.
After a walk to Caitlin Jordan put runners at second and first, Amber Harrison punched a single through the right side to plate Eisterhold to give Auburn a 2-0 lead. Jordan took third on the play and scored on Baylee Stephens' sac fly to right, making it a 3-0 game.
Caitlin Schultze gave the Tigers a 4-0 lead with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the second inning. It was Schultze's first home run of the season and third of her career. Still in the second, Lathan made it a 5-0 game with a two-out, solo home run to center. It was Lathan's fourth homer of the season.
Eisterhold racked up her 11th and 12th RBI of the weekend with a one-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning. It was Eisterhold's 29th career home run, seventh of the season, and it came with Lathan (walk) aboard to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.
The Tigers ended the game in the fifth inning on the eight-run mercy rule. The Tigers loaded the bases with Branndi Melero (HBP) at third, Lauren Guzman (fielder's choice) at second and Liana Wuchte (walk) at first. With Eisterhold at the plate, Presbyterian catcher Jen Marshall threw wild to third on a failed pickoff attempt. Melero was able to score on the errant throw, ending the game at 8-0.
Auburn pitcher Jenee Loree improved to 7-1 in the complete-game win. Loree threw her fourth career no-hitter. Loree last threw a no-hitter on Feb. 11 this season against Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne. Loree's four no-hitters are third-most in Auburn history, trailing Holly Currie's seven and Kristen Keyes' five. Loree threw two no-hitters in 2009.
Loree fanned six and did not issue a walk in five innings of work. Presbyterian put four hitters on base, one by error, another by an out-producing fielder's choice and two on hit-by-pitches.