PANAMA CITY, Fla.– Behind an offensive explosion that saw the Tigers score 30 runs across a pair of games, Auburn softball (7-1) swept its Sunday's doubleheader at Joe Tom King Field, defeating both Pearl River Community College and Gulf Coast State College.
Setting the tone early with big first and second innings, the Tigers knocked off Pearl River 7-0. Auburn used an eight-run second inning to set the tone before slugging its way to a 23-1 victory over Gulf Coast State in a six-inning win.
The offense flexed its muscle with 30 runs and 30 hits scattered over the doubleheader. Auburn slugged 11 extra-base hits, including six doubles and five home runs.
Junior Sydney Cox led the team at the plate going 4-for-5 with a double, four runs scored and five RBI. Sophomore Abbey Smith also totaled four hits and scored a team-leading seven runs Sunday. Sophomore Bri Ellis returned to form with three hits, including two home runs, for five RBI.
The Tiger pitching staff gave up a lone run over the doubleheader slate. All four active pitchers saw action, scattering five hits while striking out 26. Sophomore Annabelle Widra led the staff with 10 strikeouts with junior Maddie Penta fanned eight. Penta and freshman Emmah Rolfe earned victories over the twin billing.
AUBURN 7, PEARL RIVER 0
After Widra mowed down the first three batters she faced all via strikeouts, the Tiger offense responded with early run support. On the first pitch of her at bat, Ellis smashed a no-doubter over the left field wall to put Auburn up 2-0.
The Tigers went right back to work in the second inning as freshman Skylar Elkins led off with a double off the wall in center followed by an infield single from Smith. Senior Carlee McCondichie plated the first run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to left.
After a hit by pitch put Widra on base, Auburn traded an out for a run as Smith scored from third while Pearl River threw out a base stealer. Ellis pushed the lead to 5-0 as she delivered a fly ball that had just enough juice to leave the park for a solo home run.
Pearl River kept the Tigers scoreless in the third and fourth innings, but Auburn used timely two-out hits in the fifth to add a run to scoreboard. Cox got the rally started with a single before coming around to score on the second double of the game from Elkins.
Sophomore Aubrie Lisenby capped the scoring with a solo home run to lead off the seventh inning for the Tigers.
Auburn's pitching staff limited the Wildcats to a lone hit, a single in the fourth inning. The Tiger pitchers recorded 13 total strikeouts and did not issue a walk. Rolfe was credited with the win to improve to 2-1 in the fall. The right-hander fanned six through her three innings of work.
Widra and sophomore Icess Tresvik both tossed a pair of innings in the opener. Widra struck out five of the six batters that she faced. Tresvik was also perfect, facing the minimum with a pair of strikeouts.
AUBURN 23, GULF COAST STATE 1
After a scoreless first inning, Auburn answered in the bottom of the second inning plating eight runs off six hits and two GCSC errors. Tresvik did the most damage in the inning totaled a single and double for three runs in the second inning alone.
Lisenby and Widra both knocked a pair of RBI singles while Ellis drove in two with her shallow single to center. Cox capped the scoring in the second with an RBI off a productive groundout.
The Tigers manufactured a run in the top of the third. Cox knocked a double off the wall in left. Pinch runner Smith reached third on a wild pitch before scoring on a two-out single down the right field line from Widra.
Auburn loaded the bases with two outs with two walks and a hit by pitch. A dropped fly ball in shallow left by the Lady Commodores cleared the bases to push the lead to 12-0.
A pair of walks and a bunt single from Smith loaded the bases in the top of the fifth. A bases-loaded walk and a pair of two-RBI singles from both Cox and junior KK McCrary plated five Auburn runs.
The Lady Commodores answered, loading the bases in the home half with two shallow singles and an Auburn error. A single just out of the reach of a diving Kenadie Cooper in right field allowed the lone run to score.
A two-out Tiger rally scored six runs in the sixth inning. A pair of singles from Smith and Cooper before a GCSC error extended the inning and allowed a run to score. Cox cleared the bases with a single to right center, her fourth and fifth RBI of the game. Auburn followed with back-to-back home runs from freshman Millie Roberts and McCrary.
Penta earned the victory to improve to 3-0 over the fall. Penta toss four hitless innings, striking out eight. Widra tossed the final two innings allowing one run off four hits while striking out five.
UP NEXT
Auburn concludes its fall season next Sunday with a single contest at Auburn University at Montgomery. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT.