AUBURN, Ala. – After its seventh-inning rally against South Alabama (11-8) ended with a play at the plate, No. 19 Auburn softball (19-2) returned to the win column defeating Tennessee Tech (1-13) in Saturday's nightcap to split day two of the Jane B. Moore Memorial tournament.
Auburn sent the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but South Alabama held on with a game-ending double play to snap the Tigers' 16-game win streak with a 2-1 victory. Several new faces saw action against Tennessee Tech as Auburn bounced back for an 11-6 win.
"We let the emotions of the first game carrying into the second game," said head coach Mickey Dean. "We weren't composed. The play at the plate was a close call, but it is high risk, high reward. We were a little stubborn at the plate in that game and were late to making adjustments. We started making good swings on the ball late in the game, but it was too late."
Shelby Lowe and South Alabama's Olivia Lackie were locked in a pitchers' duel as the duo held both teams hitless through the first four innings. The Jaguars struck in the top of the fifth, stringing together four hits to plate a pair of runs to take the 2-0 lead. The Tiger defense limited the damage with two plays at the plate in the inning.
Auburn rallied in the bottom of the seventh using a hit by pitch and a walk to put the tying run on board with one out. Coming up huge in a pinch-hit appearance, Jessie Blaine delivered the first Tiger hit of the game driving in a run with a single to center.
With the tying run standing at third, the Tigers tried to bring home the tying run on a late break to plate on a ground ball back to the pitching circle, but South Alabama turned two with a tag at the plate.
Entering the game in relief, Maddie Penta tossed three innings and gave up one hit to the Jaguars. Penta fanned three in the outing. Lowe (2-1) tossed four frames and was charged with both runs. The lefty scattered three hits and struck out five.
Auburn had to come from behind against Tennessee Tech as an Auburn error extended the first inning, allowing the Golden Eagles to capitalize with a single to plate an unearned run. Extending her reached base streak to 21 consecutive games, Nelia Peralta led off the home half with a walk before swiping second to get into scoring position. Blaine locked the game with an RBI single up the middle.
The Golden Eagles regained the lead in the top of the second scoring two runs off a pair of two-out hits, including a solo home run. The Tigers got one back in the third as a Bri Ellis double and a TTU error manufactured a run to cut the Golden Eagle lead to one.
Auburn responded in a huge way, bringing across nine runs in the fourth inning, marking the second time this season Auburn has scored at least eight runs in a single inning.
Maia Engelkes put the Tigers in front with a two-run blast, the first of her senior season. Peralta extended the lead to 5-3, scoring on a wild pitch. Sydney Cox and Icess Tresvik combined for three RBI with back-to-back singles before freshman Axe Malinowski doubled to left center to drive in two. Milanowski pushed the lead to 11-3, scoring on a wild pitch.
The Golden Eagles fought off the run rule in the fifth, knocking a three-run home run to cut the lead to 11-6, but Annabelle Widra kept TTU off the board in the sixth and seventh to pick up the win in relief.
Widra improved to 6-0 in the circle as she tossed five innings of relief. Widra scattered three hits, including the fifth-inning home run, while striking out six. Freshman Emmah Rolfe earned the start against the Golden Eagles.
Auburn caps off the Jane B. Moore Memorial tournament on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. CT against Bowling Green. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m. CT. Sunday's finale is available on the SEC Network+.
