March 2, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. - The No. 2 Auburn softball team touted its best offensive output of the season in a 15-0 defeat of Liberty at Jane B. Moore Field Thursday night. The Tigers (15-2) racked up 10 hits, including a season-best seven for extra bases, in the five-inning affair decided by run-rule.
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"The cuts tonight were a lot better as far as attacking the zone," said head coach Clint Myers of the offense. "If you take away the strike three looking with the bases loaded, we were pretty aggressive tonight. We didn't have nearly as many swing-and-misses.
"We hit some balls hard and that was encouraging. Those are the things that we've got to do getting ready for next weekend."
Three players tallied multiple hits, led by Carlee Wallace who went 3-for-3 with a career-best five RBI in the leadoff spot. Kasey Cooper and Haley Fagan each notched a pair of hits and two RBI.
Wallace also paced Auburn with three extra-base hits, including two doubles and a home run. The Tigers launched a season-high four roundtrippers in the contest, rounded out by Kendall Veach, Cooper and Fagan.
All nine starters scored in the contest, marking the first time that has happened since Auburn accomplished the feat versus Jacksonville State May 22, 2016.
Kaylee Carlson earned the win in the circle and improved her record to 9-0 on the season. The junior tossed three innings of one-hit ball and struck out two. Jenna Abbott and Ashlee Swindle closed out the final two frames to complete the shutout of Liberty (9-6).
The Tigers did all of their damage in their opening two chances at the plate, scoring seven and eight runs, respectively, in the first and second frames.
Wallace got things started right away with her second leadoff homer of the season. Cooper then ripped a single up the middle, before being brought in by a towering two-run shot off the bat of Fagan.
Auburn scored its next two runs after Morgan Podany drew a bases loaded walk and Courtney Shea scored on an errant pickoff attempt to make it 7-0. In her second at bat of the inning, Wallace flared a run-scoring double to right-center to cap the scoring at 8-0.
In the second, Veach popped a leadoff homer to deep center that cleared the complex boundaries. Later on, Victoria Draper beat out an infield single with the bases juiced to make it 10-0.
Wallace followed that up with a double down the line in left that cleared the bags and gave Auburn a 13-0 lead. The next batter, Cooper, laced her 59th career home run to left-center for a solo shot.
Whitney Jordan scored the 15th and final run for the Tigers when she advanced to third on a fielder's choice and crossed the plate on an error by the second baseman.
Carlson shut down the Lady Flames in the first three innings, before giving way to Abbott and Swindle, who finished off the contest in the final two innings.
Auburn and Liberty are set to meet again Friday night at 6 p.m. to kick off the Wilson/DeMarini Classic at Jane B. Moore Field.