AUBURN, Ala. – Another strong pitching performance from Shelby Lowe, this time in in relief, gave Auburn softball (19-11, 1-8 SEC) a chance but the Tigers were unable to find a big hit as Auburn fell, 2-0, to No. 13 Arkansas (31-3, 12-0 SEC) Saturday at Jane B. Moore Field.
Lowe tossed 5.1 innings in relief for the Tigers, holding Arkansas to three hits and a pair of walks. The lone run she allowed was unearned as defensive miscues plagued the Tigers on Saturday. Lowe struck out seven in the appearance.
Lefty Lowe and Maddie Penta, who earned the start in Saturday's contest, stranded 11 runners. Lowe left the bases loaded twice to put up zeros on the board.
Auburn was held to three hits in Saturday's finale. Sydney Cox knocked a double in the third inning for the lone extra-base hit. Tyler King and Makayla Packer both picked up singles in the game.
"I thought our approach at the plate was much better through the first five innings," said head coach Mickey Dean. "Arkansas played great defense. They made some nice plays in the infield and the outfield. In the last two innings, our pitch selection was not good. In the seventh, their pitcher threw one strike. Our pitch selection needs to be better in that situation."
After a pair of walks to open the game, Linnie Malkin drove a single to right field with an Auburn error charged on a fumble of the ball in the outfield. A run would come around to score on the play.
A defensive error would hurt the Tigers in the sixth. With a runner on, an Auburn throwing error on a sacrifice bunt attempt put runners on the corners. Arkansas would score its second run with a grounder to first base.
Penta fell to 6-5 on the season after being tagged with the loss. She allowed a run off three hits and three walks in 1.2 innings of work. She struck out one.
TIGER TRACKS
- Shelby Lowe brought her season total to 118 strikeouts. She is just six away from surpassing Marcy Harper (2013) for the third most strikeouts in a season by an Auburn freshman.
ON DECK
The Tigers will travel to College Station, Texas, next weekend for their second road series of the Southeastern Conference schedule. Auburn will open the series at Texas A&M on Friday, April 9 at 6 p.m. CT.