COLUMBIA, Ala. – With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth, an error by No. 24/25 Auburn softball (18-7, 0-4 SEC) allowed No. 18/20 Missouri (23-6, 2-2 SEC) to score an unearned run to walk off game one of the series, 2-1, Friday afternoon at Mizzou Softball Stadium.
Lowe and Missouri starter Jordan Weber went toe-to-toe throughout the game with both pitchers giving up one run off solo homers in the fourth innings. Neither factored into Friday's final decision.
Freshman Lowe tossed a career high 7.1 innings, the most by an Auburn pitcher in a single game this season. She gave up seven hits, allowing the lone run off a Hattie Moore homer in the fourth. Lowe struck out six and did not allow a free pass throughout the game.
When Lowe did give up a hit, the left-hander only allowed one hit in eight at-bats with a Mizzou Tiger on base.
Auburn's six through nine hitters did most of the damage, recording five of the Tigers' six hits. Justus Perry led Auburn at the plate with a 2-for-4 night behind her solo home run in the fourth.
"We had opportunities," said head coach Mickey Dean. "When we did get walk and when we did get hits, we'd have two batters strike out back to back. We never got a bunt down to move a runner. The difference in that ballgame. Each team had a home run. Each team had great pitching. Each team had great defense. The difference is that they moved one runner, she scored. We didn't move any."
Through the first three innings, Auburn strung together three singles and a pair of walks, but Missouri's Weber kept the Tigers off the board with the help of eight strikeouts. Not to be outdone, Lowe held Mizzou to just two hits in through innings, including a leadoff double in the bottom of the third. Lowe forced three straight ground balls to keep it a scoreless game.
Perry drove in the first run of the game as she lined a solo home run, her second of the season, to left field in the top of the fourth. The lead was short lived as Missouri answered in the home half of the inning with a solo homer from Moore to tie the game.
Auburn had the go-ahead run in scoring position in the top of the seventh as Kelsey Schmidt got on board with an infield single and swiped second, but relief pitcher Emma Nichols fanned the next two batters she faced. Missouri knocked back-to-back, two-out singles in the bottom of the seventh, but Lowe forced a fly out to left to send the game into extras.
KK Dismukes took over in the circle with one out in the bottom of the eight. Dismukes gave up a single to left and issues a walk but battle back with a strikeout and a fly ball to left to force the game to the ninth inning.
After giving up a one-out double, Dismukes was lifted for Lexie Handley. Handley issued a walk but forced a fly ball to right for the second out of the inning. With the winning run at third, Handley forced a ground ball back to the circle. The throw to first pulled Perry off the bag, allowing Missouri to walk off the game with the unearned run.
TIGER TRACKS
- Justus Perry slugged her second home run of the season. It was the 13th home run of her Auburn career.
- Friday marked Justus Perry's fourth multi-hit game of the season to bring her career total to 20.
- Shelby Lowe is just 12 strikeouts from recorded her 100th of the season. She is on pace to become just the fourth Auburn freshman to ever record 100 strikeouts in season.
ON DECK
Auburn looks to even the series in game two on Saturday. First pitch on the SEC Network is slated for 11 a.m. CT.