April 8, 2015
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AUBURN, Ala. -- Sophomore Kasey Cooper hit two home runs as the No. 6 Auburn softball team scored in five of six innings Wednesday evening on the way to a 10-6 victory over UAB at Jane B. Moore Field.
Cooper finished the night 2-for-3 with four RBI and Wednesday's game was her second of the season with two home runs, the last coming against USF on Feb. 22.
"It is a typical midweek game," Auburn head coach Clint Myers said. "Great teams figure out ways to win. We are a great team."
Auburn (38-5, 10-2 SEC) scored its 10 runs on 12 hits, including three multi-run home runs. It's the 21st game this year that the Tigers have tallied 10 hits or more in a game.
Junior Marcy Harper picked up the victory, her eighth of the year, going three innings and giving up three runs on three hits with one strikeout.
Cooper opened the scoring for the Tigers, hitting a two-run shot in the top of the first to put Auburn up 2-0. It was Cooper's 15th homer of the season, but wasn't her last of the contest.
Emily Carosone would add a home run of her own in the bottom of the second, scoring freshman Courtney Shea and junior Kelsey Bogaards to give Auburn a 5-0 lead.
UAB (24-12, 8-2 CUSA) got two runs back in the top of third from a double by Hayley Davis. The Blazers added another run in the inning on a sacrifice fly to center field by Kelly Britt.
Cooper hit her second long ball of the game, which was her 16th of the season to give the Tigers a 7-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning over the Blazers. Auburn now has three different players with 16 home runs, just two shy of the school record of 18 set by Cooper last season.
Seven of Auburn's 10 runs Wednesday night came off the home run ball, marking the 21st multi-home run game for the Auburn team this season.
Auburn scored a run in the bottom of the fifth after a Carosone walk forced home a run. A sophomore Jenna Abbott double in the bottom of the sixth ended the scoring for Tigers.
UAB added three runs in the top of the seventh inning to try and mount a comeback, but Auburn pitcher Rachael Walters forced two fly outs to end the game and secure the win for the Tigers.
Auburn hits the road this weekend for a three-game series with the 23rd-ranked Texas A&M Aggies in College Station, Texas. The Tigers lead the all-time series 5-2 with the last game resulting in a 9-1, run-rule victory for Auburn.
"We are going to go and play a very good Texas A&M team. They are well coached, they have great athletes and they have been in the College World Series," coach Myers said. "We have to go out and play Auburn softball."
For more information on Auburn softball, visit AuburnTigers.com, follow the team on Twitter @Auburn_Softball or follow them on Facebook at Facebook.com/AuburnSoftball.