AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn softball's offense brought the Friday night fireworks at the plate as the Tigers exploded for 23 hits, knocking off Bevill State, 22-3, at Jane B. Moore Field.
Eight Tigers picked up multi-hit performances, highlighted by Kenadie Cooper. The freshman went 4-for-5 at the plate with a double with two RBI. Cooper also scored a pair of runs. Freshman Rylie Moody also turned in a big performance at the plate, driving in five runs off three singles.
Freshman Abbey Smith picked up a pair of hits, scoring three runs for the Tigers, while freshman Nelia Peralta drove in a pair of runs with help from two doubles. Riley McNemar drove in a two runs off two hits, including a double. The freshman scored a team-leading four times.
Junior Maia Engelkes and freshman Jessie Blaine rounded out the multi-hit performances. Engelkes knocked a pair of hits, including a double, while Blaine closed the night 3-for-4. Junior Lindsey Garcia was the lone Tiger to go yard as she slugged a two-run homer in the first inning.
The Tigers utilized all four of their pitchers in the circle. As a staff, Auburn allowed just three hits with only one of Bevill State's three runs being earned. Auburn struck out 14 total batters and did not issue a walk in the contest.
Bevill State jumped out early with a pair of singles, manufacturing a run on a wild pitch.
The lead was short lived as Auburn provided an immediate response, plating eight runs off seven hits in the home half. It was the freshmen class that sparked the rally as Peralta doubled for the first Auburn hit of the contest.
Aubrie Lisenby smoked a triple to right center to drive in Peralta before coming around to score on a passed ball. After reaching on a walk, sophomore Makayla Packer swiped a pair of bases to stand at third. Sophomore Sydney Cox knocked a single into shallow left to bring home Packer and extend the lead to 3-1.
Garcia broke the game open with a two-run home run to left field. Sophomore Kelsey Schmidt continued the onslaught with a double to right center before scoring on a single off the bat of junior Carlee McCondichie.
After freshman Rose Roach reached via walk, Peralta cleared the bases with a double to center to push the lead to 8-1.
In the top of the second, Bevill State led off the inning with a hit by pitch before back-to-back passed balls moved the runner to third. The Bears cut the lead to 10-2 with an RBI single to right field.
Engelkes led off the bottom of the second with a single up the middle. A Bevill State error and a single from Cooper loaded the bases for the Tigers. Moody and sophomore Reena Falisi each picked up an RBI via groundouts to extend the lead to 10-2.
In her final inning of work, junior KK Dismukes retired Bevill State in order with help of a pair strikeouts. Dismukes scattered three hits in her three innings of work. One of her two runs allowed was earned. The right-hander struck out three in her starting appearance.
Auburn went back to work at the plate in the bottom of the third with Smith leading off with a single to short followed by a single through the left side from Blaine. A fielding error from Bevill State allowed the first Auburn run of the inning to score. McNemar doubled down the line in left to pick up an RBI. Moody pushed the lead to 14-2, clearing the bases with a single to no man's land in left.
Sophomore Shelby Lowe took over in the circle in the top of the fourth, facing situational defensive with runners on first and second with no outs. Lowe responded to the challenge by striking out the side. The Tigers then took advantage of a pair of Bevill State errors to manufacture a lone run in the home half.
In another inning of situational defense, sophomore Maddie Penta took a turn facing two runners on with no outs, striking out the side in order. Following a quiet inning from the Tigers at the plate, Samantha Yarbrough took over in the circle. The senior extended the strikeout streak to nine consecutive strikeouts as she retired the side in order in her first inning of work.
With two outs on the scoreboard, Engelkes, McNemar and Cooper traded three straight doubles to plate a pair of runs. Moody drove in the third run of the inning with an RBI single to right center, extending Auburn's lead to 18-2.
Bevill State scratched across a run in the top of seventh with a pair of sacrifice hits. The Tigers flipped the script with some situational offense, starting the bottom of the seventh with Falisi at second. The Tigers used a double steal and a wild pitch to plate two runs.
Yarbrough tossed the final inning for the Tigers, fanning a pair to retire the side in order. In her three innings of work, Yarbrough was charged with just one unearned run allowed during situational action, while striking out five.
The Tigers began the bottom of the eighth with McNemar at second base. After she swiped third, Cooper drove her home with a single to center field. Cooper would steal second before advancing to third on an error. Moody ended the game with an RBI single down the line in right.
Auburn concludes its fall slate on Sunday with a doubleheader against Valdosta State and Chipola College at Jane B. Moore Field. First pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m. CT. Game two of the doubleheader slate will begin 30 minutes following the conclusion of game one.
