Feb. 13, 2018
AUBURN, Ala. -- No. 13 Auburn softball will travel to Troy, Ala. for an in-state battle against the Troy Trojans on Wednesday at the Troy Softball Complex. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. CT and will be broadcasted on ESPN3.
"Troy has always been scrappy," said head coach Mickey Dean. "I've played against them in the past, and the one thing I know about them is that they are going to be scrappy, and we're playing at their place. I am sure that when the schedule came out that this was in bold letters. We know that we are going to get their best game, we absolutely know that."
The Tigers are coming off an opening weekend sweep at the Plainsman Invitational, winning six-straight vs. Marshall, Wichita State, Tennessee Tech (2x) and Furman (2x). Auburn has started the season 6-0 for just the ninth time in program history.
Auburn's pitching was dominant all weekend as the contingent of Kaylee Carlson, Makayla Martin, Chardonnay Harris and Ashlee Swindle did not allow an earned run. Carlson, a senior from Garden Grove, Calif., was 3-0 with two complete-game shutouts on the weekend. The right-hander struck out 20 batters as opposed to just one base on balls allowed.
Martin impressed as well, going 2-0 over 13.0 innings pitched with seven strikeouts and just two walks. Harris, a freshman, pitched 4.0 innings, striking out six batters and did not allow a hit. Swindle added 2.0 scoreless innings with no hits.
The Tigers' offense overcame a sluggish start in the first two days of play to explode on the final day with 27 total runs in run-rule wins over Tennessee Tech (18-0) and Furman (9-1).
Three players currently boast batting clips of .500 or better with senior Victoria Draper leading the way at .538, while sophomore Justus Perry (.533) and freshman Taylon Snow (.500) are just behind.
Perry belted the first two homeruns of her collegiate career in back-to-back games vs. the Golden Eagles and Paladins.
The Trojans, led by fourth-year head coach Beth Mullins, are currently 3-0 after opening-weekend wins over Tennessee State, Alabama State and Valparaiso.
Auburn and Troy have met 24 times with the Tigers leading the series 16-7-1, including a 6-4-1 mark in games played at Troy.
Player to Watch: Victoria Draper
Draper had a big opening weekend at the plate as Auburn hosted the Plainsman Invitational against Marshall, Furman, Wichita State and Tennessee Tech. She batted .538 to pace the team, going 7-for-13 at the plate with seven hits and drew eight walks. Draper was also successful on 4-of-5 stolen base attempts.