BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – On the heels of what Auburn softball head coach Mickey Dean called, "one of the best (pitching) outings I've ever seen," Chardonnay Harris has named the Southeastern Conference's Co-Pitcher of the Week, the league announced Tuesday afternoon.
Harris became just the second pitcher in program history to strike out 17 batters in a single game when she fanned 17 batters in Auburn's 2-1 extra-inning win over then-No. 7 Florida on Saturday, April 27th. The performance marked the most strikeouts by a Tiger pitcher against a SEC opponent in school history. The 17 strikeouts were one shy of tying Anna Thompson's single-game Auburn record (18) set against Louisiana Tech on March 5, 2010.
Harris tossed all 10 innings of Auburn's first extra-inning win over Florida, while scattering five hits, issuing four walks and surrendered only one run. She had a no-hitter through 5.2 innings, until Amanda Lorenz singled a 2-1 pitch to right field. Three of Harris' five hits allowed came in the top of the sixth inning.
Harris struck out at least one batter in nine of the game's 10 innings and multiple batters in six of the 10. It marked the fourth double-digit strikeout performance this season for the Oak Park, Ill., native. She now has the top three strikeout performances by a Tiger pitcher this season after striking out 14 against Eastern Illinois (Feb. 23) and 11 versus Michigan State (March 9). In all 14 career starts in the pitching circle, Harris' walk total during a game has never surpassed her strikeout total.
Harris and the Tigers will return to action on Friday, May 3 at 6 p.m. when Auburn (35-15, 10-11) starts a three-game series against Arkansas (35-16, 9-11) in Fayetteville, Ark.