AUBURN, Ala. – With the game locked at 1-1, No. 16 Auburn softball (38-12, 10-9 SEC) plated five runs in the fifth inning to knocked off No. 15 Georgia (38-12, 10-9 SEC), 6-3, to open the series Friday at Jane B. Moore Field.
"I was so proud of our team tonight on offense," said head coach Mickey Dean. "Maddie (Penta) pitched unbelievable. Those last two home runs were my fault. They were terrible pitch calls. Our defense was unreal tonight. Georgia didn't have any big innings because our defense made some terrific plays."
Sophomore Maddie Penta tossed the complete game against the Bulldogs, earning the win to improve to 23-5. Penta is now tied with Beth DiPietro for the fifth most wins by an Auburn pitcher in a single season.
Penta held Georgia's high-powered offense to six hits. The Bulldogs scored their three runs on three solo home runs. The right-hander struck out seven in the gutsy performance
"Georgia is a great hitting team," Penta said. "I am so very thankful that our defense played amazingly, so that they only hit solo home runs. They did not make it easy on me in the circle. Our defense and hitting helped carry us to the win. "
At the plate, sophomore Sydney Cox went 2-for-2. She knocked a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the third to lock the game at 1-1. Cox would go on to score again as part of Auburn's huge fifth inning.
Freshman Aubrie Lisenby and Cox both knocked singles before junior Carlee McCondichie broke the stalemate with a three-run blast.
"We brought the energy tonight," McCondichie said. "We had confidence in each other. We knew we were going to have fun and swing hard."
The Tigers followed a Georgia error with a double from sophomore Makayla Packer and a walk to load the bases. Freshman Bri Ellis added to her team-leading RBI total with a single to center, plating two runs.
Georgia added solo blasts in the sixth and seventh innings to chip at the score, but Penta secured the win with back-to-back strikeouts.
UP NEXT
Auburn goes for the series win over the Bulldogs on Saturday. First pitch on the SEC Network+ is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.