March 31, 2017
ATHENS, Ga. - The No. 5 Auburn softball team earned a 7-5 result at No. 16 Georgia to open the three-game series Friday night. The Tigers (29-5, 4-3 SEC) picked up their sixth consecutive win against the Bulldogs (27-8, 2-5).
"Kaylee was great in the circle tonight," said head coach Clint Myers. "The offense had some timely hitting. Alyssa Rivera also made two very fine catches in right field."
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Kendall Veach and Carlee Wallace led the offense, each tallying two hits in the seven-inning contest. Victoria Draper rounded out the attack with a single.
Haley Fagan drew a career-high four walks and scored a team-best three runs.
In the circle, Kaylee Carlson improved to 17-1 on the season after hurling a complete game, allowing only three earned runs and striking out two.
As a team, Auburn tied a season-high with 11 walks at the plate.
The Tigers broke open the scoring in the top of the third when they racked up three runs on one hit and took advantage of one error, all coming with two outs.
Kasey Cooper, Fagan and Wallace reached base by two walks and a hit by pitch to load the bases up. Courtney Shea then put a ball in play that was bobbled and brought in the game's first run.
Two pitches later, Veach belted a two-run single to extend Auburn's margin to three.
Georgia got two back in the home half of the fourth on three hits to cut the deficit to one at 3-2.
In the fifth, the Tigers put three on by way of a walk, single and a hit by pitch, respectively. Casey McCrackin then earned a five-pitch walk to plate a run and make it 4-2 Auburn.
The lead did not last long as the Bulldogs knotted the tilt up at 4-4 by scoring two runs on as many hits in the bottom of the frame.
Auburn matched its production in the sixth by scoring three additional runs. Back-to-back singles from Draper and Wallace got the inning started. Consecutive walks by Cooper and Fagan elevated the Tigers to a 5-4 lead.
Following a bases-loaded plunk from Shea, Auburn scored its final run of the game on a throwing error by the catcher.
Georgia got a run back in the sixth, but Carlson buckled down in the seventh to send the Tigers to a 7-5 win. The junior pitcher was aided by Rivera, who made a full-extension, one-handed grab in foul territory to highlight a spotless final frame.
The two teams meet once again Saturday night at 6 p.m. with the game set to broadcast on ESPN. The game will also be available locally on 95.9 FM radio.