AUBURN, Ala. – After weather altered plans Friday night, No. 20 Auburn split its two games in the Plainsman Invitational Saturday afternoon as the Tigers beat Drake 2-0 before falling to Texas Tech 5-4.
Fans in attendance during Auburn's first game of the day were treated to a pitching gem as senior Makayla Martin (3-1) threw her second consecutive complete-game shutout — third on the season — as she scatted five hits through seven innings, walked one and struck out eight on 83 pitches. Drake's Nicole Newman (2-2) kept the Tigers at bay until the bottom of the fifth when Morgan Podany scored on a groundball off the bat of Taylon Snow. The lead was extended the following inning when Tannon Snow launched her second home this year.
Martin returned to the circle in the top of the seventh against Texas Tech and extended her scoring-inning streak to 14.1.
Against the Red Raiders, Auburn struck first via a two-run home run off the bat of Kendall Veach, which ties her with Casey McCrackin (4) for the team lead heading into the final day of the tournament.
Zoe Jones responded with a solo home run the following half inning, before Jessia Hartwell lined a two-out double down the left-field line to plate two more and give Texas Tech a lead it wouldn't surrender. Hartwell made it a two-run lead for the Red Raiders in the top of the fifth with a single back up the middle.
The Tigers answered in the bottom half when Tay. Snow scored on a throwing error as Brittany Maresette stole second. But, Trenity Edwards led off the sixth with a solo home run to extend Texas Tech's lead back to two.
Podany inched Auburn closer in the bottom of the sixth with a single to right field that forced a bad throw and allowed Carmyn Greenwood to pop up from third base and hurry home. Podany, representing the game-tying run, was left a third after Tay. Snow went down swinging and McCrackin grounded out to third.