Feb. 14, 2013
Auburn, Ala. - Freshman Emily Carosone drove in three runs to help lead the Auburn softball team to a 7-1 win over Indiana State Thursday night at Jane B. Moore Field.
Auburn improved to 7-0 with the victory. Indiana State dropped to 4-2. The Tigers will play Tennessee State at 12:30 p.m. and Bryant at 3 p.m. on Friday.
"I was really happy with our team speed and our aggressiveness on the bases tonight," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "We were really able to use our speed to set up some scoring situations."
Hilary Mavromat improved to 2-0 with a complete-game win. Mavromat allowed one run, earned, on two hits with four walks and five strikeouts.
Stephanie Fougerousse took the loss in relief to fall to 2-1. Fougerousse allowed six runs, three earned, on seven hits with two walks and one strikeout in three and two-thirds innings. Ashli Scott started and went two and one-third innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits with five walks and no strikeouts.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning when Brooke Lathan singled home Branndi Melero, who had reached on a one-out single. After Melero singled, McKenzie Kilpatrick hit a ground ball to short that Morgan Allee fielded but threw wildly to second on an attempted force out. Lathan followed with the RBI single which would cap the scoring in the inning.
The lead was quickly erased as Shelby Wilson crushed a leadoff home run off the scoreboard in left-center to even the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning. It was Wilson's second home run of the season.
The Tigers took the lead for good in the fifth inning. Melero opened with a double to center and was followed by Kilpatrick who walked and Lathan who reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Caitlin Jordan then gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead with a single through the left side which plated Melero. Kilpatrick was thrown out at home on the play for the first out of the inning.
A double steal put Lathan at third and Jordan at second, Emily Carosone then chopped an infield single to third which plated Lathan for a 3-1 Auburn lead. Fougerousse would force a pair of ground outs to end the inning with two runs scoring.
The Tigers added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth. Tiffany Howard led off with a single and quickly stole second. Howard took third on a single to right by Morgan Estell, who alertly took second on the relay throw. Melero followed with a ground ball to Megan Stone at first who fired home, but was unable to beat Howard who scored the fourth Auburn run of the night. Melero took second on the play.
Kilpatrick hit a chopper back to Fougerousse who fired home. Estell was caught in a rundown between third and home, but was able to score when Fougerousse dropped the throw from third. Estell's run made it 5-1. Carosone made it a 7-1 game with a two-run single that plated Kilpatrick and Lathan, both reaching on fielder's choices.
Mavromat put the Sycamores down in order in the top of the seventh to keep the Tigers unbeaten on the season.