March 12, 2018
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - No. 10 Auburn softball bounced back from their three-game skid in a big way, sweeping Southern Miss in a doubleheader 9-2 and 5-0 Monday at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.
The Tigers put on an offensive clinic in the first game, tallying a season-high 17 hits led by freshman Taylon Snow's 4-for-5 performance at the plate. Snow was one of five Auburn batters with multiple hits. KK Crocker and Casey McCrackin had three hits apiece while Victoria Draper and Jenna Olszewski had two hits.
McCrackin put the Tigers on the board in the first inning on a 3-run homerun, her third of the season and second of the Louisiana/Mississippi road trip. She finished the contest 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI.
Olszewski plated the first of two RBI on a sacrifice fly to center in the third and followed with a RBI single in the fifth, the first of four runs scored in the inning. Morgan Podany plated McCrackin on a sacrifice fly and Olszewski scored on a Crocker RBI single. Taylon Snow plated the inning's final run on a RBI double.
Makenna Dowell tallied the Tigers' final insurance run in the sixth on a RBI single.
Freshman Chardonnay Harris got the start in the circle for the first time in her collegiate career and tossed 2.2 innings with three hits and one run allowed. Ashlee Swindle (2-0) relieved her in the third and went the distance for her second win of the season. Swindle struck out four over 4.1 innings with five hits and one run allowed.
Southern Miss starting pitcher Jillian Johnson (0-3) was charged with the loss after allowing 12 hits and eight runs.
Game two saw a dominant performance in the circle from senior right-hander Kaylee Carlson, who picked up her 12th win of the season. The senior tossed 6.0 innings of shutout ball allowing just three hits and no walks while striking out four. Freshman Kara Bilodeau pitched the seventh to close out the game for the combined shutout.
It is the 17th shutout of the season for the Tigers, the sixth-most in single-season program history.
Taylon Snow continued her big day at the plate pouring on two more hits and a RBI. The freshman from Chino Hills, Calif. was 6-for-8 for the doubleheader. McCrackin also had a strong game as she homered for the second time of the day to double Auburn's lead at 4-0 in the sixth.
McCrackin batted .421 for the road trip going 8-for-19 in the box with three homeruns and seven RBI.
Tannon Snow belted a solo home run in the seventh, her fourth round tripper of the season.
With the two wins, Auburn improved to 25-5 (0-3 SEC) on the season while Southern Miss fell to 10-16.
Southern Miss' Kim Crowson (5-5) was charged with the loss in game two allowing four runs on five hits.
The Tigers are now set for a seven-game home stand beginning Friday through Sunday with Alabama. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Friday evening at Jane B. Moore Field.