April 8, 2016
AUBURN, Ala. -- Dominant pitching carries No. 3/2 Auburn softball to a 2-1 win over Longwood and opens up Pink Weekend at Jane B. Moore Field on Friday evening.
"Phenomenal pitching tonight," head coach Clint Myers said after the game. Rachel (Walters) and Makayla (Martin) both were out there putting zeroes on the board. We just didn't swing. We weren't managing the count."
Walters (6-2) earned the win tossing five innings of three-hit ball and adding a trio of strikeouts. Martin picked up second save of the season allowing one hit and dealing four strikeouts with neither pitcher allowing a walk.
Kasey Cooper's solo homerun (12) gave the Tigers the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth after Longwood tied the game at 1-1 in the top half of the frame.
The Tigers took an initial 1-0 lead in the third with an RBI single from Carlee Wallace to score Emily Carosone.
A bases-loaded sac fly from Longwood's (21-13) Justina Augustine tied the game at 1-1. The Lancers were able to outhit Auburn 4-3 in the contest and Sydney Gay (9-5) took the loss for the visiting squad.
The victory was the Tigers 10th in a row and helps their home record to 23-2 this season. Auburn is 26-1 in non-conference games this year.
PINK WEEKEND
1,841 fans were on hand for the Pink Weekend opener with big crowds expected throughout the weekend. All money raised for the weekend benefits the Joy to Life Foundation.
"Cancer is a devastating disease that needs to be eradicated in some way," Myers said after the game. "If we can do some small part to help eliminate it then we will. It is a women's sport. Breast cancer touches us all. If you detect this early, it is a very treatable disease and you can live a long healthy life. We just want to do our part to give back to society."
"Whatever we raise goes to the research. We will be wearing pink on Sunday and fans will have a chance to win a jersey from the girls. They will present them to the winners after the game. The money we raise stays in Alabama for research."
UP NEXT
The two squads continue the weekend series tomorrow at 6 p.m. with Sunday's game set for 1 p.m. Fans are encouraged to wear pink throughout the weekend and the team will raffle off their game-worn jerseys following Sunday's finale.