Feb. 23, 2018
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - No. 12 Auburn picked up their 16th win of the season Friday, defeating San Jose State 4-0 on day two of the Mary Nutter Classic at the Big League Dreams Complex in a hard-fought pitchers' duel. It is the 12th shutout of the season for the 16-1 Tigers.
Auburn's Kaylee Carlson and San Jose State's Madison Aurin each had big days in the circle as they went back-and-forth for six-straight innings of scoreless ball. Carlson (7-0) pitched 6.0 innings before being relieved by Makayla Martin in the top of the seventh. The Garden Grove, Calif. product had six strikeouts to go with six hits allowed and no walks in her seventh win of the season.
Neither offense could find much success for the majority of the game as the teams entered the seventh inning with just seven combined hits (Auburn - 4, San Jose State - 3). Casey McCrackin got things turned around with a leadoff double. Makenna Dowell advanced her to third on a sacrifice bunt and Morgan Podany walked. Victoria Draper then plated the first of four runs in the inning on a RBI infield single.
Senior Courtney Shea brought Podany and Draper home on a 2-RBI double to dead center that hit the fence and Alyssa Rivera followed with a chopper back up the middle to plate the final run of the frame and make it 4-0.
"That's what we ask them to do late in the game," head coach Mickey Dean said. "They did a good job."
Auburn finished with eight hits to San Jose State's four. Rivera had three of those hits (3-for-4) while Draper had two (2-for-4). Draper also picked up another stolen base to bring her nation-leading tally to 19.
Aurin (1-4) was charged with the loss after a complete game performance. First baseman Georgia Blair led the Spartans offensively with two hits.
Auburn will conclude their time in the California hills tomorrow with another doubleheader vs. Oregon State at 2:30 p.m. CT and Long Beach State at 9:30 p.m. CT.