AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn softball team dropped its final fall exhibition of the 2019 calendar year as Auburn University at Montgomery pulled ahead in the late innings, then fended off several Tiger rallies. The game was called after a pre-determined 10 innings.
"You always want to show progress," said head coach Mickey Dean. "We didn't swing it as well tonight, especially with runners in scoring position. But, for the fall, I thought we made great progress."
In what turned into a low-scoring affair between the two teams, Ashlee Swindle got the start against AUM and went four innings, struck out two batters, surrendered one hit and allowed one unearned run.
From there, Lexie Handley took the reins and scattered four hits over the next four innings. Handley allowed two earned runs during the top of the eighth inning. Samantha Yarbrough and Bailee Dempsey went the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, and did not allow a run.
On the evening, the quartet of Auburn pitchers struck out five batters and issued only one walk.
"(The pitching) wasn't bad," Dean said. "One thing we talked about, when we scored a run and our pitcher comes out, instead of having a shutdown inning, which is what you need from your pitcher, we give up two runs."
Auburn's run came during the bottom of the seventh when Haley Nillen, who pinched hit for Lindsey Garcia, banked a double off the top of the left-field fence, which plated Brittany Maresette from first and tied the game.
The Tigers had an opportunity to take the lead in the seventh and ninth innings, but were unable to capitalize with runners on second and third in both innings.