AUBURN, Ala. – Powered by nine extra-base hits, No. 19 Auburn softball (32-9) scored 23 total runs to pick up a pair of run-rule victories over Niagara (11-16) to sweep Friday's doubleheader at Jane B. Moore Field.
"I was proud of our defense," said head coach Mickey Dean. "We did some nice things out there. We made some ESPN catches. Offensively, especially that second game, we didn't waste any at-bats. We got off to a great start. Pitching was a mixed bag, but when we worked ahead, we had success."
Auburn kept Niagara off the board in the opening contest, picking up an 8-0 victory in six innings. It was the 11th shutout of the season. Junior Maddie Majors secured the run-rule victory with an RBI single through the right side. The Tigers slugged four home runs in game two, topping the Purple Eagles in five innings, 15-7, for the 14th run-rule victory of 2022.
The Tigers held a .500 team average at the plate against the Purple Eagles, scoring its 23 runs off 26 hits. Auburn slugged at a .904 team clip. The Tigers were also perfect defensively over the doubleheader.
Freshman Bri Ellis was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of home runs and four RBI. Ellis also scored four runs in the doubleheader. Ellis brought her season home run total to 16. She is just two shy of tying Kasey Cooper for Auburn's freshman record. Ellis is now tied for 10th overall in Auburn single-season history with her 16 homers.
Freshman Aubrie Lisenby went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored on Friday. Sophomore Kelsey Schmidt knocked three hits, including a three-run home run in game two. Schmidt is the 12th different Tiger to knock a home run this season.
As a team Auburn has knocked 71 home runs, the fourth most by a Tiger squad.
In the circle, junior KK Dismukes earned both wins in relief. Over 5.1 innings of work, Dismukes gave up just three hits and struck out seven. Sophomore Maddie Penta earned starts in both contests. Penta did not give up a hit and allowed one unearned run. She struck out nine to bring her season total to 186, the 10th most by a Tiger pitcher in a single season.
Senior Samantha Yarbrough also saw action in the circle and recorded three strikeouts.
GAME ONE SCORING
After a quiet first inning, Ellis led off the bottom of the second with a solo home run to center. With a pair on, sophomore Sydney Cox cleared the bases with a double. Freshman Abbey Smith dropped a bunt down for a base hit, but an errant throw at first allowed Cox to score. Smith would score the fifth run of the second inning by advancing on a wild pitch.
Ellis led off the third inning with a walk before moving herself into scoring position with a stolen base. Cox would pick up her third RBI of the game with a single up the middle.
Freshman Kenadie Cooper extended the Tiger lead to 7-0 in the bottom of the fifth. Cooper knocked a single up the middle, the first of her collegiate career, to drive in freshman Riley McNemar.
With two on in the sixth, Majors ended the game as she knocked a perfectly placed single between the first and second basemen.
GAME TWO SCORING
The Purple Eagles took advantage of a leadoff walk and a passed ball in the first inning to plate an unearned run. The lead was short lived as the Tigers stormed back in the home half.
Junior Lindsey Garcia led off the action with a triple to right center before scoring on a single to left from Lisenby. After an interference called wiped out a base runner on single from freshman Jessie Blaine, Ellis cleared the bags with a homer to left.
The hits kept coming as a Cox single was followed by a triple from junior Carlee McCondichie. McCondichie would score the fifth run of the first inning on a wild pitch.
The Tigers would extend their lead to 10-1 with home runs from Blaine and Schmidt in the second inning.
Niagara cut the lead to 10-3 with a two-run home run in the third. Auburn answered in the home half with three singles, including a base knock through the left side from Ellis that drove in a run.
The Purple Eagles were able to plate four runs off three hits in the top of the fourth to slice the lead to 11-7, putting the run rule out of reach momentarily.
The Tigers took advantage of a pair of Niagara errors in the fourth to help load the bases. Garcia plated a run with a sacrifice fly to center before Lisenby went yard to push the lead to 15-7.
Dismukes retired the side in order in the top of the fifth to secure the win.
UP NEXT
Auburn goes for the series sweep on Saturday. First pitch at Jane B. Moore Field is set for 10 a.m. CT and will be available on the SEC Network +.