March 27, 2017
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Kaylee Carlson tossed a complete game shutout for No. 4 Auburn to highlight a 1-0 victory at No. 2 Florida. The Tigers (28-5, 3-3 SEC) limited the Gators (29-2, 7-1) to just three hits in the contest.
"I though Kaylee was dynamic tonight," said associate head coach Corey Myers. "There was a little bit more fire after the Saturday night loss. I didn't think she could've pitched better Saturday until I saw her pitch today."
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The Garden Grove, Calif. native hurled her third complete game shutout, including the second in her last three starts. Carlson notched four strikeouts and held a Florida offense that had 17 hits in the previous two tilts to only three base knocks Monday night.
Kendall Veach provided the heroics at the plate as she laced a solo home run - her eighth roundtripper of the season - to guide Auburn offensively. Haley Fagan and Carlee Wallace also tallied singles.
With the victory, head coach Clint Myers earned his 1,500th career win. Myers' win total dates back to his start at Central Arizona in 1987. The veteran coach picked up 481 wins while in charge of the softball team until 1995 and 406 victories during his stint as the baseball coach from 1996-2005.
The Lakewood, Calif. native then totaled 427 wins as the leader of the Arizona State softball program before notching his 184th triumph at Auburn in his fourth season on The Plains.
In the game in Gainesville, the Tigers struck first in the top of the second when Veach took a 2-1 pitch and blasted it over the wall in left-center, giving Auburn a 1-0 lead.
Carlson then used her defense to keep Florida off the board in the opening three frames, highlighted by a diving snare from Casey McCrackin on a shot up the middle that the sophomore dove for and proceeded to make a full-extension dive at second base to get the lead runner in the third inning.
Florida put two into scoring position in the fourth frame with one out, but Carlson induced a pop out and a foul out to Kasey Cooper and Veach, respectively, to get out of the jam.
The Gators proceeded to put a pair on base in the sixth with two down, but the right-hander again worked her way out of it with a line out to Victoria Draper in center.
After a clean seventh at the plate, Florida got the leadoff hitter on base via a walk. Carlson then got the next three batters out, including the last one herself on a comebacker up the middle, to send the Tigers to victory.
"Scott [Woodard] and I talked about when she transferred to Auburn, that was the pitcher we were expecting right there," stated Corey Myers. "I told her after the game that's my expectations, not to just go throw shutouts but just to be a leader.
"I really think she's establishing herself as one of the primary leaders on this team."
Auburn returns to the field March 31 at No. 16 Georgia for the opening of a three-game series with the first game set to start at 6 p.m. Friday night.