May 5, 2013
Fayetteville, Ark. - The Arkansas Razorbacks got a three-run home run from Amanda Geile to complete a series sweep of the Auburn softball team with a 5-0 victory Sunday afternoon.
Auburn finishes the regular season with a 30-23 overall record and a 7-17 record in the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas improved to 34-17 overall and 12-10 in the SEC.
"This isn't how we wanted to end things today," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "We really wanted to send our seniors out on something of a positive note with a win. As tough as it is, this is something that as a team we have to learn from and use this experience to improve and help us take the next step in our development."
Hilary Mavromat started and took the loss to fall to 5-4. Mavromat allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Marcy Harper pitched the final two and one-third innings, allowing just two hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Kimmy Beasley improved to 10-7 with the win. Beasley started and went five innings, scattering two hits with no walks and striking out seven.
Neither team could muster any offense through the first three innings of play. The Tigers put runners on in each inning, including the leadoff batter in the third inning, but couldn't capitalize. The Razorbacks managed to get just one runner aboard with a one-out single in the first inning, but Mavromat set the Hogs down to keep the game scoreless.
After going down in order in the second and third innings, the Razorbacks got consecutive one-out singles from Chloe Oprzedek and Jennifer Rambo in the bottom of the fourth. Sierra Bronkey followed with a bloop single to right. Branndi Melero overran the ball attempting to field it, which allowed Oprzedek to score for a 1-0 Arkansas lead. Stephanie Canfield followed with a fielder's choice ground ball to Emily Carosone at shortstop, who fired home in time for the out on Rambo.
With two outs and runners on the corners, Amanda Geile crushed a three-run home run on a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left-center to make it a 4-0 game. It was Geile's fifth home run of the season. Nicole Schroeder made it back-to-back home runs with a solo shot to left on a 3-2 pitch, giving the Razorbacks a 5-0 lead.
The Tigers never threatened following the five-run outburst by the Razorbacks. Beasley and relief pitcher Chelsea Cohen combined to retire 15 consecutive Auburn batters beginning in the top of the third inning. Cohen pitched the final two innings of the game without allowing a base runner and striking out one.