AUBURN, Ala. – Behind another elite performance by Maddie Penta and the Tiger defense, No. 19 Auburn softball (28-10, 6-3 SEC) shut out Ole Miss 1-0 Sunday at Jane B. Moore Field to clinch the series win.
"Heck of a ballgame," said head coach Mickey Dean. "Great pitching. Great defense. We were clean on defense and that was the difference in the ballgame."
Penta (16-4) went the distance to secure her fourth complete-game shutout of the season and the ninth of her collegiate career. Penta gave up a pair of hits and two walks, but Auburn's defense turned in its seventh consecutive error-free contest to keep Ole Miss (21-16, 2-7 SEC) from scoring. Penta fanned eight batters in the outing to pick up Auburn's 10th series win in the last 11 meetings with the Rebels.
"I didn't have the strikeout numbers that I would like to have," Penta said. "But I was able to work through it. My defense really had my back, especially today. Without them, that wouldn't have been a win."
Auburn's pitching staff has recorded 16 shutouts this season, the seventh most in a single season on the Plains.
The Tigers didn't need a hit to manufacture the first run of the game. Nelia Peralta drew a two-out walk and was lifted for Abbey Smith. Smith swiped second and advanced to third as the throw to the bag sailed into the outfield. Aubrie Lisenby drew a walk and baited the defense into throw to second. Ole Miss recorded the out on Lisenby as she retreated to first base, but not before Smith stole home to put Auburn up 1-0.
Smith now stands 14-for-15 in stolen base attempts this season, which ties for the fourth most steals recorded by an Auburn sophomore.
Auburn knocked its lone hit of the contest in the sixth inning as Lisenby drove a single up the middle. The Tigers drew five walks and took advantage of an Ole Miss error to get runners on base throughout the game. Peralta closed the game with a pair of walks as she has now reached base safely in 37 of Auburn's 38 contests.
"We wanted this win really bad," said Aspyn Godwin. "We got what we wanted. It was a great game. These are the best types of games. It was back and forth. Our crowd we really into it the entire time."
The Tigers hit the road next week for a three-game series in Gainesville against No. 11 Florida. The series begins on Thursday at 5 p.m. CT and is available on the SEC Network+.