AUBURN, Ala. – High-powered offense of Auburn softball's talented lineup was in full force as the Tigers swept Southeastern Louisiana, outscoring the Lady Lions 18 to 3, in doubleheader action Saturday to close the Auburn Invitational undefeated.
Auburn improves to 15-1 on the regular season as it stretched its home record to an unblemished 13-0.
The Lady Lions (8-10) jumped out to an early lead in game one and held the Tigers hitless through three innings. Sophomore Lindsey Garcia sparked a massive seven-run fourth inning to carry Auburn to a 9-2 win.
"We were sluggish to start the first few innings," said head coach Mickey Dean, "but once we turned it on, we didn't let off the gas."
Freshman Shelby Lowe earned the win in her second start of weekend to improve to 5-0. Lowe gave up four hits, including two run-scoring doubles, while issuing two walks. Lowe struck out eight in the appearance.
Redshirt senior Lexie Handley and sophomore KK Dismukes closed the game in relief. Dismukes carried the load with two hitless innings as she struck out a pair.
The Tigers wasted no time in game two, scoring six times in the first frame. Auburn took advantage of an SLU error in the sixth inning to walk off a run rule victory, 9-1.
Dismukes earned her first start of the season in game two, tossing five innings for the Tigers. The righty allowed five hits and gave up an unearned run. She struck out three. Junior Samantha Yarbrough tossed an innings of relief, retiring the side in order.
Garcia turned in a 4-for-6 performance at the plate in Auburn's two games against SLU. The third baseman slugged a double and her first career home run, picking up five RBI on the night.
Graduate student Justus Perry knocked three singles and drove in a pair of runs in Saturday's doubleheader en route to her 100th career hit in an Auburn uniform. The first baseman also recorded her 1000th career putout to become just the sixth Tiger in program history to reach the mark.
"Even when Iwas struggling, my teammates had my back," said Perry. "They were able to pick up my slack. Eventually, I was able to figure it out on my own."
GAME ONE RECAP
With a Lady Lion on base via a single, SLU struck a two-out double to right field to take a 1-0 lead. The Lady Lions used a two-out rally in the second with a walk and a double to left center to extend their lead to 2-0.
The Tigers would go hitless until the bottom of the fourth, when Garcia led off the inning with her first collegiate home run, a solo shot to left field. Freshman Kelsey Schmidt continued the rally with a single to left, forcing a pitching change.
Perry welcomed the new Lady Lion pitcher with a single to left field before senior Kaylee Horton loaded the bases after reaching on a SLU error
The Lady Lions answered with two quick outs, but freshman Sydney Cox broke through with a single to drive in a pair of runs to put the Tigers in front, 3-2. Makayla Packer continued the rally with a bunt back to the pitcher that the freshman stretched into an RBI double.
Junior Aspyn Godwin knocked a hot shot to third base to plate Cox and push the lead to 5-2. In her second plate appearance in the fourth inning, Garcia doubled to left center to drive in two more runs for a 7-2 Auburn advantage.
Leading off the bottom of the fifth, Perry slugged her first home run of the season clearing the wall in left center field. Horton followed with a single to short before moving into scoring position off a wild pitch.
Pinch hitter Haley Nillen drew a walk and was lifted for fifth-year student-athlete Rachel Cook. Packer drove Cook in with an RBI singlet o left field to push the lead to 9-2.
With Handley in the game in relief in the sixth, SLU drew a pair of walks before Dismukes entered the game, retiring the first three runners the faced to leave the two Lady Lions stranded. Dismukes closed out the win with three groundball outs in the seventh.
GAME TWO RECAP
With two runners on base with help of an Auburn error and an infield single with two outs, SLU's Lindsey Rizzo swiped third base. The throw reached the bag but popped out of Garcia's glove and into the SLU dugout, allowing Rizzo to advance to home for an unearned run in the first inning.
The lead was short lived as Auburn answered in the bottom of the first. With two on after a Cox single and Packer walk, Godwin doubled to center field to tie the game up. Garcia singled to left field to drive in the go-ahead run.
Schmidt made it a 3-1 game with a sacrifice fly to right field. Graduate student Alyssa Rivera picked up her third RBI of the weekend with a single to left field. In her 100th career hit, Justus Perry drove in a run with shot to right field, extending the Auburn lead to 5-1.
Senior Makenna Dowell plated the final run of the first inning with a single up the middle.
The two squads would trade two scoreless innings before Garcia drove in Packer with a two-out RBI single to left field in the bottom of the fourth.
In a pinch-hit appearance, freshman Denver Bryant made it a 8-1 game with a solo home run to center, her first of her collegiate career.
Freshman Paige Geraghty led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to the pitcher. After swiping second, Geraghty would score on an SLU throwing error as Auburn won via the run rule.
TIGER TRACKS
- Justus Perry becomes just the sixth player in program history to record 1,000 career putouts. She ends the weekend with 1,008.
- Perry also recorded her 100th career hit as an Auburn Tiger.
- Lindsey Garcia and Denver Bryant both slugged their first collegiate home runs. Perry added her first home run of the season and the 12th of her Auburn career.
UP NEXT
In the final tune up before Southeastern Conference play, Auburn will travel to Troy, Ala., to face the Trojans. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT.