TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Despite shutting Kennesaw State (27-26) out over the final five innings, a run in the first frame would cost Auburn softball (27-24) as the Tigers fell, 1-0, in an elimination game Saturday afternoon at JoAnne Graf Field in the Tallahassee Regional.
Facing a bases-loaded situation in the top of the first, Auburn traded two outs with a 6-4-3 double play for a run. Shelby Lowe would keep the Owls scoreless over the final five innings for a complete-game effort. The Tiger offense struck hard line drives, but Kennesaw State's defense kept the Tigers to lone a hit.
"We gave up a couple hits early, but I thought we did a nice job to force the double play ball and get a strikeout to end the first," said head coach Mickey Dean. "I thought that was going to give us momentum going forward. The next couple of innings, we had a runner in scoring position but just couldn't get her home."
Senior Makenna Dowell knocked that lone Tiger base hit in the top of the second with a tough ball to deep short that ricochet off the fielder's glove. The Tigers sacrificed Dowell over to second but left her stranded.
Dowell reached base twice Saturday as she also drew a walk. Alyssa Rivera also got on board with a walk in Saturday's contest.
Lowe closed her freshman season with a 13-11 record. She held the Owls to the lone run, working around six hits and a walk. Lowe struck out three in the outing.
With her freshman season complete, Lowe ended the year with a 1.48 earned run average, the second lowest recorded by a Tiger pitcher in a freshman campaign. Lowe's ERA ranks sixth in Auburn single-season history. The left-hander recorded 179 strikeouts, the second most by an Auburn freshman. The mark was also good for 10th in a single season at Auburn.
Lowe set Auburn's single season record for fewest walks allowed per seven innings with a 1.18 average. Her 15 complete games rank 10th in the program's single-season history.
Softball’s season ends at Tallahassee Regional
Shelby Lowe in the circle during Regional play.