GULF SHORES — A day after tallying 19 runs, Auburn's offense was silenced by the pitching staffs of Missouri State and Louisiana Tech as the Tigers fell to the Bears, 4-3, and the Bulldogs, 2-1.
Ashlee Swindle earned her second start of the season when Auburn squared off against Missouri State to start the day. The right-handed pitcher went the distance, but was haunted by a four-run second inning when the Bears collected four of their seven hits. Swindle did not allow a runner past second base the rest of the game en route to striking out five batters and issuing only two walks.
Auburn loaded the bases in the bottom of the first — after a Taylon Snow single and Casey McCrackin double and a two-out intentional walk to Kendall Veach — but the Tigers only managed to push across one run when Justus Perry drew a bases-loaded walk.
After the Bears took a 4-1 lead, Bree Fornis and McCrackin struck back with solo home runs in the bottom half of the second. However, Steffany Dickerson entered the circle for Missouri in the fifth inning and allowed only two Tiger baserunners the rest of the way.
In the second game, Makayla Martin and Louisiana Tech's Krystal De La Cruz went pitch-for-pitch through the game's first five innings until the Bulldogs struck first on a two-out double down the third-base lane by Zoe Hicks.
Like earlier in the day, McCrackin answered with a solo home run to tie the game. Unfortunately, Louisiana Tech managed four straight singles off Martin in the top of the seventh. Alyssa Rivera tried to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard when she threw out Bayli Simon at the plate, but Kim Atienza singled down the third-base line to plate the go-ahead run.
Justus Perry led off Auburn's half of the seventh before being lifted for pinch-runner Brittany Maresette, who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Makenna Dowell. Maresette, representing the game-tying run, moved to third on a fly out to right field, but was stranded there as the game's final out came via a flyout to left field.
Auburn will conclude its three-day stay in Gulf Shores for the Sand Dollar Classic when the Tigers face off against Florida A&M at 10 a.m., Sunday.