Feb. 20, 2013
AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn softball team committed a season-high four errors and the Georgia State Panthers took advantage en route to a 4-1 victory over the Tigers Wednesday night.
Auburn dropped to 10-2 with the loss while Georgia State improved to 5-4. The Tigers travel to Corpus Christi, Texas, for the Grand Islander Classic Feb. 22-23. Auburn will play Kansas, Southern University, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and New Mexico.
"It is hard to win when you make four errors and give a team three unearned runs," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "We didn't hit very well after the first inning. We've got to regroup and focus on doing the little things right."
Lexi Davis started and took the loss to fall to 3-1. Davis allowed four runs, one earned, on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts in four innings of work. Hilary Mavromat pitched the final three innings allowing one hit with one walk and four strikeouts.
Kaitlyn Medlam earned the complete-game win to improve to 4-2. Medlam allowed one run, earned, four hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Emily Carosone lofted a single to shallow center, scoring Branndi Melero from second base. Melero reached when she was hit by a pitch with one out and then took second on a ground out by Brooke Lathan.
Georgia State took advantage of a pair of Auburn errors to tie the game in the top of the third inning. MeQuilla Franklin reached on a swinging third strike that catcher McKenzie Kilpatrick dropped, recovered but threw wildly to first allowing Franklin to reach. With two outs, Franklin stole second to move into scoring position. Jessica Clifton chopped a ground ball to third base that Carosone fielded but threw low to first for an error, allowing Franklin to score from second to even the game at 1-1.
The Panthers took the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Taylor Anderson led off with a double to the wall in center, the first GSU hit of the game. Brenna Morrissey followed with a single to left, plating Anderson for a 2-1 Georgia State lead. Tiffany Howard booted the ball attempting to field it, allowing Morrissey to reach second. Franklin then laced a single to right, pushing Morrissey to third and chasing Davis from the game and bringing in Mavromat.
Franklin quickly swiped second, but Mavromat was able to get the first out when Ashley Christy grounded out to second base. Mavromat then fanned Clifton on a called third strike for the second out of the inning. The Tigers appeared to get out of the jam when Lauren Coleman hit a ground ball to Kelsey Bogaards at shortstop. Bogaards fielded and fired the ball to Caitlin Jordan at first, who dropped the ball for Auburn's fourth error of the game, allowing both runners to score and give GSU a 4-1 edge.
In the bottom of the seventh, Medlam fanned pinch-hitter Austyn West to open the frame for the first out of the inning. On a 1-0 pitch, Medlam forced Howard to line out to left field for the second out. Medlam ended the game when Morgan Estell lined out to shortstop.