JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Auburn softball (5-0) remained undefeated Saturday after opening the Osprey/Dolphin Invitational with wins over No. 19 South Carolina (1-1) and Jacksonville (2-3) at the UNF Softball Complex.
No. 19 South Carolina drove in two runs in the first inning, but Auburn battled back at the plate throughout the game to take a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh. South Carolina would cut the lead to one run, 5-4, but freshman pitcher Maddie Penta left the winning run stranded in scoring position in a gutsy complete game performance.
Over her seven innings of work, Penta (3-0) allowed four runs off five walks and six hits. They were the first earned runs the right-hander had allowed this season. Penta struck out a career-high nine batters.
Junior Aspyn Godwin had a big game at the plate against the Gamecocks, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and her second home run of the season. Freshman Denver Bryant picked up two hits against South Carolina, including the first double of her career.
Auburn struck early against Jacksonville, plating runs in the first three innings to build a 4-0 lead. The Tiger offense was highlighted by the first collegiate home run for freshman Makayla Packer.
Freshman Shelby Lowe (1-0) and sophomore KK Dismukes combined to keep the Dolphins scoreless through the first six innings, before allowing a solo home run in the seventh. Lowe earned her first collegiate win in the start as the Tigers remained undefeated with a 5-1 victory.
"When our pitchers worked ahead, they had great success," said head coach Mickey Dean. "They were almost unhittable. The only time that we ever got ourselves in trouble in the circle was when we got behind in the count. We recognize that, and we're going to work on it. Offensively, we scored many different ways today, which is what you like to see out of your team. Defensively, I felt we did pretty good. We made some key plays and didn't allow the other team to elongate the game by making defensive mistakes."
SOUTH CAROLINA RECAP
The Gamecocks struck first with some two-out magic in the bottom of the first. With two on after a pair of walks, Kassidy Krupit cleared the bases with a double to right center.
The Tigers got one back in the top of the second with a solo home run to straightaway center from Godwin to lead off the inning.
Graduate student Alyssa Rivera led off the third with help of a Gamecock error at third. After Rivera swiped second, senior Kaylee Horton singled to second to put two on. Senior Makenna Dowell moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.
Auburn would tie the game on a dropped fly ball to right field. Freshman Paige Geraghty, in the game as a pinch runner, swiped second, allowing Horton to score on the throw to give Auburn the 3-2 lead. Godwin extended the lead to 4-2 with an RBI single to right center.
The Gamecocks answered in the bottom of the fourth, stringing together a pair of two-out singles to plate a run.
After trading a scoreless fifth, freshman Kelsey Schmidt worked two-out magic of her own with a double to right field. Bryant would drive her home with a single to center to push the Auburn lead to two runs.
South Carolina made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh, leading off the inning with a bunt single and an Auburn error to move a runner into scoring position. After a passed ball moved the Gamecock runner to third, a one-out walk put the tying run on base.
A two-out single to left field drove in a run, cutting the Auburn lead to 5-4. South Carolina loaded the bases with a hit by pitch, but Penta answered right back with a strikeout to secure the upset.
JACKSONVILLE RECAP
Rivera led off the game with a single to left before moving into scoring position off a Jacksonville error on a ground ball to second from Horton. With two outs, Jacksonville threw the ball into the outfield on a failed pick off attempt on Horton, allowing Rivera to reach third. With Horton stuck in a run down between first and second, Rivera would score the first run of the game.
Auburn would extend the lead to 2-0 in the top of the second with Packer's first career home run, a solo shot off the scoreboard in left center.
Rivera led off the top of the third advancing to second on a fielding error in right. Horton would drive in pinch runner senior Tyler King with a single to left field. Graduate student Justus Perry would push the Auburn lead to 4-0 with a one-out RBI single to left.
The Tigers would not score again until the top of the seventh. King led off the inning with an infield single, but would be called out at second on a fielder's choice from sophomore pinch hitter Lindsey Garcia. Dowell moved Garcia into scoring position with a single through the right side before Perry loaded the bases with a single through the left side. Senior Abby Tissier would extend the lead to 5-0 with an RBI on a fielder's choice to third base.
Jacksonville's lone run of the game was a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the seventh off the bat of Kailey Harrigan.
After a shaky start, Lowe retired nine straight in her second collegiate start. She allowed three hits, all singles in first inning, but did not give up a run to score thanks to an outfield assist from freshman Kelsey Schmidt in left to hose a base runner at the plate. Lowe struck out two in her first collegiate win.
Dismukes tossed the final three innings, giving up just one walk and the solo home run. She struck out four.
TIGER TRACKS
- The Tigers' victory over South Carolina was the 100th Auburn career win for head coach Mickey Dean.
- Today's victory over the Gamecocks was the 19th win over a ranked opponent during the Mickey Dean era.
- The Tigers are now hold a 5-1 record against South Carolina in games played at neutral sites.
- Maddie Penta is the first Auburn freshman pitcher to begin her career 3-0 since Makayla Martin in 2016. She struck out a career-high nine batters in her start against South Carolina.
- Denver Bryant recorded her first multi-hit game of her collegiate career with a single and double against the Gamecocks.
- Makayla Packer knocked the first home run of her collegiate career with a solo shot against the Dolphins.
- Aspyn Godwin slugged her second home run of the season, bringing her career total to five.
- Alyssa Rivera has reached base safely in 17 consecutive games, dating back to the 2020 season.
- Makenna Dowell tied her career high as her hit streak extended to seven straight games.
UP NEXT
Auburn closes out the Osprey/Dolphin Invitational on Sunday with a rematch against No. 19 South Carolina. First pitch is scheduled for 9 a.m. CT.