AUBURN, Ala. – Senior Makayla Martin tossed her fifth complete-game shutout of the season as No. 20 Auburn (17-4) opened the War Eagle Challenge with a 5-0 win against Michigan State.
It took Martin (9-2) only 85 pitches get through 7.0 innings without allowing a run for her 30th career complete game, which passes Denise Montalvo (1997-99) for ninth all-time, and 16th career shutout. Martin, with four strikeouts against the Spartans, now has 330 career strikeouts, which breaks a tie for Angle Bunner (2008-12) for 10th all-time in Auburn history. Martin (471.0) also passed Marcy Harper (469.0; 2013-16) for seventh in program history in career innings pitched. When Martin tossed her first pitch of the evening, the San Diego native appeared in her 107th career game in an Auburn uniform, which breaks a tie with Kaylee Carlson (2016-18) for eighth all-time.
"Anytime you have a dropball pitcher, you have an opportunity to get out of trouble," said Auburn head coach Mickey Dean. "All (Martin) had to do was make a good pitch and let her defense go to work. And she did that. She pitched well, except for those two innings, but her defense got her out of it."
The only trouble Martin faced against Michigan State (5-13) came in the third and fourth innings. But in both innings, the Tiger infield turned inning-ending double plays as Tannon Snow fielded a groundball, stepped on third then fired to Justus Perry at first to end the third. An inning later, a traditional 6-4-3 double play ended the frame.
From there, Martin retired nine straight to close out the game.
"It wasn't a very good performance today, but I had a really good defense behind me and that really helped," Martin said. "They all had my back, but I just definitely have to be better."
At the plate, Kendall Veach and Tannon Snow both launched solo home runs — in the second and fifth innings, respectively. In between, Bree Fornis scored on a bunt single by Morgan Podany, before Alyssa Rivera scored on a Tan. Snow single in the third. Tan. Snow came around to score from second on a fielder's choice off the bat of Justus Perry.