CLEARWATER, Fla. – Behind incredible power at the plate, defensive web gems and shutdown pitching, No. 25 Auburn softball improved to 8-0 with wins over Wisconsin (5-4) and No. 9 Texas (5-3) during the second day of competition at the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational Presented by Wilson at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.
Auburn continues to put up staggering runs as the Tigers have now outscored opponents 72 to 10 to open the season. Auburn has slugged 15 total home runs through eight games after only hitting 22 as a team last season.
"I love seeing our kids stick to the plan no matter who we are playing," said head coach Mickey Dean. "When you see a team that can go out there and play the game and not their opponent, that's what we've been doing. We're sticking to what we know. We had big hits, we let the know we were here the first inning."
The offense was on display early as Auburn opened Friday with a 9-3 victory over Wisconsin. Sophomore Makayla Packer led Auburn at the plate against the Badgers, going 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI and three runs scored. Freshman Jessie Blaine also pick up a pair of hits in the contests to drive in two runs.
Auburn totaled three home runs in the game as freshman Bri Ellis and junior Carlee McCondichie both went yard.
Sophomore Shelby Lowe earned the start against Wisconsin. In five innings of work, Lowe allowed one run off two hits and a pair of walks while striking out eight to improve to 5-0 on the year. Senior Samantha Yarborough made her season debut, tossing the final two innings. Yarbrough was charged with a pair of runs off four hits and a walk. The right-hander struck out two.
Jumping on the Longhorns early, Auburn used a pair of first inning home runs to set tone and relied on a phenomenal pitching performance by sophomore Maddie Penta to earn a 6-2 victory.
The victory was Auburn's first over Texas and its first victory over a top-10 team since defeating No. 7 Florida, 2-1, on April 27, 2019.
Ellis was the big bat of the game as she went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Packer also knocked a solo home run in the game.
"No one expected Auburn to come out and do what we just did," Packer said. "We showed everyone today what Auburn softball is all about."
Penta held Texas to just two hits, both coming from McKenzie Parker. In her complete-game effort, Penta worked around the pair of hits and three walks to hold Texas to two earned runs. Penta struck out nine in the outing.
Auburn can also credit incredible defensive plays in its win over the Longhorns as both Bryant and sophomore Sydney Cox robbed hits while freshman Aubrie Lisenby made a diving play behind the plate.
"Our infield is electric," Ellis said. "We are a hard-working team. When these great plays happen, it's natural. It just comes from how hard we work."
GAME SCORING: WISCONSIN
Taking advantage of Wisconsin's miscues, Auburn got two aboard early with a hit by pitch and fielder's choice. Freshman Nelia Peralta knocked a single up the middle to plate the first run of the game while an error on attempt to tag Cox out at second pushed another run home.
After two more hit by pitches, Blaine cleared the bases with a single to right field to put Auburn up, 4-0.
Packer extended the lead to 5-0 as she led off the second inning with a home run to center. Wisconsin would response in the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run from Ally Miklesh.
Auburn would be kept off the scoreboard until the top of the sixth. Blaine led off the inning with a triple to center. With one out, McCondichie slugged her first home run of the season to push the lead to, 7-1.
The Tigers quickly put two more runners on with a Packer single and a walk issued to Peralta. Ellis plated the eighth Auburn run on the game with a double.
Leading off the bottom of the sixth with a double and walk, Wisconsin would come through with a two-out single from Brooke Kuffel to clear the bases and cut Auburn's lead to 8-3.
The final run of the game came in the top of seventh as Bryant knocked a solo home run to deep left center.
GAME SCORING: TEXAS
Packer set the tone early as she led off the game with a towering home run to left field. Cox reached on a walk before Peralta got on board with a hot shot to third base for a single. Ellis delivered a monstrous home run to left field to put Auburn up 4-0 in the first.
Texas answered in the bottom of the second, leading off with a walk and a double to put two in scoring position with no outs. After Penta recorded a strikeout, freshman catcher Aubrie Lisenby tossed a wild pitch back to the plate, but the tag was too high as the Mary Iakopo was called safe.
The Longhorns added their second run on a sacrifice fly to left from Katie Cimusz.
Penta stranded runners in the third, before retiring 10 straight as Texas would not have a base runner again until the seventh inning.
Auburn added insurance runs in the top of the sixth as Lisenby led off the inning with a single up the middle before she came around to score on a Blaine single to right field. A Longhorn error at second base allowed an unearned run to score as Auburn extended its lead to 6-2.
Texas got its leadoff batter on base with a single through the left side. Auburn threw out the base runner as she tried to take second on a dropped pitch. Penta shut the door to secure the victory with her ninth strikeout and pop up to short.
UP NEXT
Auburn returns to Eddie C. Moore Complex on Saturday for another top-25 test as the Tigers face No. 3 UCLA at 9 a.m. CT on ESPNU.
