AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn softball powered past Bryant and Murray State with a pair of 10-0 wins on Saturday during day two of the Wilson/DeMarini Classic. Dominant pitching and two big innings helped key the wins for the No. 3 Tigers (18-1).
"Take your hats off for Lexi (Davis) and Marcy (Harper)," head coach Clint Myers said after the game. "Marcy struggled yesterday, but came out and really threw the ball well. Lexi had a low pitch count and wanted to pitch, so I said, 'Hey, go for it.' We're trying to get everybody ready. I thought both of them did a good job."
Davis (4-0) tied the school record for career wins (60) throwing threw eight innings and pitching a complete game over Murray State. She started the next against Bryant before Harper entered the game and picked up the save.
Seniors Tiffany Howard and Jade Rhodes both had big days at the plate and helped back up their pitching classmates. Rhodes hit home runs in back-to-back at bats against Bryant (0-7) and slugged her fifth career grand slam to go 4-for-6 on the day with five RBI and three runs.
The leadoff batter Howard went 4-for-4 in the game against Murray State (6-7) and went 7-for-9 with two runs scored and three RBI.
"We're moving in the right direction," said Myers. "Today, we were a little flat. We just didn't have the excitement. That's the key. When we're dancing, laughing and having a good time in the dugout, that's when we're playing our best. These are long days. We just have to be ready for them. I think everything we did (today) was positive. We just need the positives to be bigger."
GAME 1 - Auburn 10, Murray State 0 (5)
Auburn continued their season-long first inning showcase going ahead 7-0 over the Racers during their first turn at bat. Howard had two of her hits in the first as bases loaded walks to Madi Gipson and Jenna Abbott started the scoring attack. A pair of fielders' choices and singles put Auburn well on their way to a 14-0 record when scoring in the first.
Davis allowed only a a pair of third-inning singles and threw five strikeouts in the opening game Saturday.
A sacrifice fly by Emily Carosone added a run in the third and four straight-singles in the fourth capped the 10-0 margin of victory for Auburn.
GAME 2 - Auburn 10, Bryant 0 (6)
Carosone scored the next run of the day after reaching base on a walk which was one four free passes she took on the day. She took three walks and was plunked by her 66th career hit-by-pitch which puts her one shy of the school record. A bases-loaded walk by Rhodes plated Carosone before Auburn added two more runs in the second inning off a Tiffany Howard double to lead 3-0.
Rhodes' solo home run added another tally in the fifth before she delivered the grand slam in the sixth. The two home runs give her five for the year and tied for second most on the team.
Auburn added another pair of runs later in the inning to give the team its 11th run-rule victory of the year.
UP NEXT
The Tigers close out tournament play and the DeMarini Classic on Sunday with a doubleheader against Georgia State starting at 1 p.m. The first game broadcast on the SEC Network with the next game carried on SEC+.