April 20, 2012
Auburn, Ala. - Baylee Stephens delivered a bases-loaded single off the wall in center to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Auburn softball team claimed a 3-2 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks Friday night.
Auburn improved to 27-18 overall and 6-14 in the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas dropped to 23-20 overall and 4-16 in the SEC. The Tigers and Razorbacks play game two of the series at 1 p.m. CT Saturday.
"This was a heck of a fight tonight," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "It seemed like both teams were always putting runners on but the other team would find a way to get out of it. It was a great night for Baylee. She came through with a really clutch hit. Angel and Lauren (Schmalz) did a great job pitching for us."
Lauren Schmalz earned the win in relief to improve to 8-7. Schmalz threw three and one-third innings, scattering two hits and walking one with three strikeouts. Angel Bunner started and went four and two-thirds innings. Bunner allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Chelsea Cohen started and went the distance for Arkansas, falling to 12-13. Cohen allowed three runs, all earned, on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
Devon Wallace put the Razorbacks on the board just six pitches into the game with a home run to lead off the game. Wallace fell behind 0-2 in the count before taking three straight balls. On a 3-2 pitch, Wallace uncorked a towering home run to right for a 1-0 Razorbacks' lead. It was Wallace's ninth homer of the year.
Auburn rallied to take the lead in the bottom of the second inning. Caitlin Schultze doubled to open the inning and was lifted for pinch-runner Maris Medina. After a sac bunt moved Medina to third, the Razorbacks picked up the second out on a ground out back to the pitcher. Baylee Stephens was then hit by a pitch, her 12th of the year, to put runners at third and first. Branndi Melero hit a ground ball to Maddie Reese at second base who flipped to shortstop Calrissa Navarro covering the bag, but the throw was late, allowing all runners to advance and Medina to score to tie the game.
After Lauren Guzman was hit to load the bases, Amber Harrison laced a hard single off the pitcher to advance the runners, scoring Stephens to give Auburn a 2-1 lead.
Arkansas took advantage of an Auburn error to tie the game in the top of the fifth. With two outs, Wallace hit a fly ball to left that Stephens missed when attempting to make the catch. The ball hit safely and rolled, allowing Wallace to reach second base. After Ashley Martindale was put in to run for Wallace, Clarissa Navarro laced a single through the left side to drive home the tying run.
The Razorbacks mounted a scoring threat in the top of the sixth after a pair of errors and an infield single loaded the bases with just one out. Schmalz, however, got a pair of strikeouts to end the inning without a run cross the plate.
Auburn put two on with one out in the bottom half of the sixth, but Cohen was able to work out of the jam after forcing a pair of infield pop-ups.
After Schmalz set the Razorbacks down in order in the top of the eighth, the Tigers mounted the game-winning rally. Schultze drew a leadoff walk and took second when Elizabeth Eisterhold's slow roller to second was booted by Reese. With two on, Hilary Mavromat drew a walk to load the bases. Stephens followed and drilled the first pitch off the wall in center, scoring Schultze for the game-winner.
For the game, the teams combined to strand 18 runners on base and six errors. The Tigers stranded 11 runners and tied a season-high with four errors, while Arkansas left seven on base and committed two errors.