April 24, 2016
By Charles Goldberg
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. -- Pitching won the day and the series in the battle between the two best hitting softball teams in the Southeastern Conference this weekend.
Lexi Davis and Rachael Walters combined on a three-hitter and Auburn beat Georgia 2-1 Sunday to complete a weekend sweep for the Tigers, who are ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation, now sport a 45-5 record and have two regular-season series remaining before tournament play begins.
"Lexi and Rachael did a magnificent job of pitching," said Auburn coach Clint Myers.
"It was very well-pitched game and a very well-pitched series."
Auburn got timely hitting, too, from Kasey Cooper's dramatic three-run homer with two-out in the bottom of the seventh to beat Georgia 4-3 Friday, to Madi Gipson's RBI single and Courtney Shea's RBI groundout in the sixth Sunday to give the Tigers their win.
In between, Auburn beat the No. 13 Bulldogs 13-2.
Auburn allowed the otherwise sound-hitting Bulldogs six runs in three games to improve to 15-3 in the SEC. The Tigers have won 13 straight SEC games, outscoring opponents 112-17 along the way.
Auburn is 7-1 against Top 25 teams this month -- and was 4-1 this week.
Davis allowed a run in four innings. Walters didn't allow a hit in the final three.
"My mentality is the next pitch is the most important one," Walters said. "I really like high-pressure situations. It's kind of what I feed off of."
Myers said Auburn's pitching depth helped over the weekend, and for the season.
"You're not able to get timing... we think that's a huge advantage for us," he said.
"The depth," Walters said, "is awesome this year. I know us veterans can see the difference, and we really like it."
Cooper had a hit Sunday, though the Bulldogs pitched her carefully after she beat them Friday.
"Casey is that kind of threat. She can hurt you with one swing," Myers said. "After the first night, they're not going to do anything. I feel bad for Casey because she didn't get many pitches. She got one pitch, and I think she got a single off of it."
Auburn returns to action Friday to open a three-game series at Tennessee. The Tigers will finish the regular season at home against Texas A&M on May 6-8. The SEC Tournament begins May 11 in Starkville.
Charles Goldberg is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @AUGoldMine