March 3, 2012
Kissimmee, Fla. - The No. 19/17 Auburn softball capped the second day of the Citrus Classic with an 11-1 victory over No. 14/16 UCLA after losing the first game of the day 1-0 to No. 24 North Carolina in eight innings.
The Tigers improved to 16-2 with the split. Auburn will now play Penn State on Sunday at 10:15 a.m. CT in the Tigers' last game of the Tournament.
"It was a frustrating loss to start the day against North Carolina," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "Lauren (Schmalz) pitched a great game, but we just couldn't get that hit to drop when we needed it. We came back strong against UCLA. Angel (Bunner) did a terrific job against their hitters and our bats were on fire. It was a great win. Now we have to take that into tomorrow's game against Penn State and end this tournament right."
Against UCLA, the Tigers pounded out 19 hits which is one shy of the team record of 20 set against Mercer on Feb. 18, 2006. Brooke Lathan tied an Auburn single-game record with three doubles and the Tigers put up six runs in the third inning to cruise to an 11-1 win. Lathan's three doubles tied the record set by Ashley Griffin against Mercer on Feb. 8, 2003.
Auburn pitcher Angel Bunner earned the win to improve to 6-0. Bunner allowed one run, earned, on three hits with one walk and one strikeout. Bunner forced 15 ground ball outs from the Bruins.
Destiny Rodino started and took the loss to fall to 1-1. Rodino allowed six runs, two earned, on nine hits with no walks and two strikeouts. Jessica Hall pitched four and one-third innings, allowing five runs, all earned, on 10 hits. UCLA fell to 13-6 with the loss.
UCLA took a 1-0 lead on Dani Yudin's two-out single through the right side that plated B.B. Bates in the bottom of the second inning. Bates walked to open the frame and moved to second on a sac bunt. Bates then took third on a ground out to second to set up Yudin's two-out RBI.
Auburn answered immediately when Lathan led off the third with a double to center. That was followed by a single back up the middle by Caitlin Jordan that scored Lathan to tie the game at 1-1. Elizabeth Eisterhold then reached on a ground ball that third baseman Stephany LaRosa bobbled for an error. Amber Harrison followed with a bunt single that loaded the bases.
McKenzie Kilpatrick followed with a fielder's choice, forcing Lathan out at home, but keeping the bases loaded with one out. On a 1-2 count, Caitlin Schultze was hit by a pitch to force Eisterhold home and give Auburn a 2-1 lead. Baylee Stephens followed with a high pop up that fell to the ground just in front of the right fielder for an RBI single, scoring Harrison and giving Auburn a 3-1 lead.
With two outs, Guzman laced a 1-2 pitch into centerfield for an RBI single that scored Kilpatrick and pushed the Auburn lead to 4-1. That RBI single chased Rodino from the game for Hall. Lathan greeted Hall with a two-run double to right that scored Schultze and Stephens and gave the Tigers a 6-1 lead. UCLA would end the inning with a foul out down the third base line.
The Tigers added to their lead in the top of the sixth. Guzman singled to open the inning and moved to third on a double by Lathan. With one out, Eisterhold bunted for a single, scoring Guzman and giving Auburn a 7-1 edge. Harrison followed with an RBI ground out to second that plated Lathan and pushed the Tigers' lead to 8-1.
Auburn padded its lead in the top of the seventh. With the bases loaded, Guzman singled home Schultze (single) for a 9-1 lead. After a line-out double play left runners at first and second, Jordan singled sharply to left to score Melero (single) and push the Tigers' lead to 10-1.
After Eisterhold reached on an infield single, Hall uncorked a wild pitch that scored Guzman and gave the Tigers the final 11-1 margin of victory.
In the first game of the day, Auburn pitcher Lauren Schmalz took a no-hitter into the eighth inning but UNC's first hit of the game scored the game winner as the Tar Heels won 1-0.
Schmalz (5-1) went seven and one-third innings allowing one run, unearned, on one hit with one walk and 10 strikeouts. Schmalz retired the first 17 consecutive batters before a two-out error gave UNC its first base runner. Schmalz also issued a one-out walk in the bottom of the seventh. Auburn dropped to 15-2 with the loss.
Lori Spingola (10-3) threw the complete-game shutout to earn the win. Spingola scattered four hits, walked five and fanned seven. Spingola forced the Tigers into stranding 11 runners on base. UNC improved to 13-4 with the win.
Baylee Stephens led off the top of the third with a single up the middle and was followed by Amber Harrison who was hit by a pitch. Lauren Guzman moved the runners up to third and second with a sac bunt. With one out, Brooke Lathan popped up to short for the second out. The Tar Heels pitched around Caitlin Jordan, issuing a walk on four pitches to load the bases.
But the Tigers were unable to push a run across the plate as Elizabeth Eisterhold popped up to short near the line to end the inning.
The Tigers would threaten again in the fourth and fifth, putting two base runners on in each inning, but were unable to push a run across. Through five innings, Auburn stranded nine runners on base.
The Tar Heels put their first base runner on with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Tisha Mahon chopped a ground ball to Caitlin Schultze at third, who threw to Jordan at first in time, but the throw was dropped allowing Mahon to reach. Schmalz fanned Jordan Scarboro to end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, a one-out walk to Logan Foulks put the winning run at first for UNC. Pinch-runner Chelsey Butler was put in for Foulks, but Butler was thrown out on a fielder's choice bunt by Haleigh Dickey. With two outs and pinch-runner Stephanie Krider at first, Schmalz worked out of the inning with a fly out to center to end the inning.
With the tiebreaker rule in play, Lathan was put at second to open the eighth. Caitlin Jordan drew a four-pitch walk and a sac bunt by Eisterhold moved the runners to third and second with one out. Branndi Melero followed with a foul pop-up to third base for the second out and Hilary Mavromat grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, Kellie Wheeler was placed at second and came around to score on a one-out pinch-hit single through the right side by Constance Orr.