AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn, again, showed why its dominate at home as the Tigers (13-3) knocked off Villanova 11-1 and Troy 3-1 on Sunday to run its winning streak to eight and finish the Tiger Invitational without dropping a game.
"We played six games in three days and four in less than 24 hours … that's brutal," said Auburn head coach Mickey Dean. "But I told the team I was really proud of them because our kids played tough against a really good Troy team."
Auburn fell behind Villanova after Paige Rauch hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning, but Ashlee Swindle limited the Wildcats to only one hit over the game's next five innings en route to earning her third win of the season.
Kendall Veach helped her pitcher with a two-out single to plate Taylon Snow to tie the game in the bottom of the first. The 1-1 score stood until the fourth inning when Veach sent a 3-2 pitch over the centerfield wall. An inning later, Tay. Snow played Bree Fornis on a single, before Morgan Podany scored on a wild pitch.
Aspyn Godwin extended the lead in the sixth with a three-run home run — the first of her career — before Tay. Snow ended the game with a grand slam four batters later. It was Snow's first career home run as well.
The home-run ball played an important rule for Auburn against Troy as a fourth-inning three-run home run by Justus Perry off Annie Willis provided the difference after Katie Webb gave the Trojans a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
"I faced her in high school — it was a little bit of a throwback — but I knew that I had good at-bats in high school, so I just took my mind back and wanted to do that for Makayla (Martin) because she was throwing a great game like always," Perry said.
Martin earned her sixth win of the season — 56th in her career — as she threw her 27th career complete game, which puts her 10th all-time in the Auburn record books in complete games. She ran her career strikeout total to 301 after recording six against Troy.