AUBURN, Ala. – Combining for 32 runs in its first weekend of fall exhibition competition, Auburn softball swept Snead State and Troy at Jane B. Moore Field Sunday.
Auburn opened its fall season with an 18-2 victory over Snead State before topping Troy 14-0. Behind eight extra-base hits, Auburn poured on the runs, closing Sunday's doubleheader with a .403 team average.
Junior Annabelle Widra turned in a perfect performance at the plate, going 5-for-5 with three runs scored and four RBI. Junior Makayla Packer slugged a double and a home run to plate four runs over the doubleheader. Junior Amelia Lech showed out in her Auburn debut with a pair of home runs and five RBI. Junior Riley McNemar and senior KK McCrary also hit home runs on Sunday.
The Tiger pitching staff held its own behind four underclassmen carrying the load in the circle. Widra and sophomore Emmah Rolfe both tossed four scoreless innings. Freshmen Chalea Clemmons and Malayna Tamborra also saw action in the circle as the Tiger staff allowed just two earned runs. Rolfe led the Tiger pitching staff with eight strikeouts.
Auburn's defense turned in a solid performance with just a pair of errors. Junior Abbey Smith stole the show with two diving catches.
In the Sunday opener, Auburn struck early with a pair of runs in the first off a Widra single and a Snead State error. Auburn used small ball in the second with timely bunts and stolen bases to manufacture runs before Lech and Packer broke the seven-run inning open with a pair of home runs.
Auburn would go on to score in every inning versus Snead State, adding a run in the third off a Widra single, two in the fourth on McNemar's blast and three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. Freshman Thalia Martin, sophomores Axe Milanowski and Millie Roberts and junior Anna Wohlers combined for the final six RBI. Milanowski plated three of those six runs with a sacrifice fly and a single.
Rolfe earned the start versus Snead State, striking out all six batters she faced. Tamborra picked up the win in relief, allowing just one earned run in her three innings of work.
After a scoreless first inning versus the Trojans, Auburn broke the game open in the second inning as both McCrary and Packer slugged two-run homers. Troy had a chance in the fourth inning as a leadoff single and error put a runner at third with no outs, but starting pitcher Widra retired the next three batters she faced to preserve the shutout.
Auburn added three runs in the fourth with help of a two-run single from junior Nelia Peralta. The Tigers put up another crooked number on the scoreboard in the sixth plating seventh runs.
Executing small ball to perfection, Auburn used an error and three straight bunts to plate the first run of the inning before Lech's three-run blast cleared the bases. Freshman Kyla Stroud doubled to right center before a walk and hit by pitch loaded the bases. Stroud scored on a bases-loaded walk. Tamborra drove in the final two runs of the game with a single down the right field line.
Widra, Rolfe and Clemmons combined for the shutout and held the Trojans to two hits.
Auburn returns to fall action next Sunday at Alabama State. The Tigers face Auburn Montgomery at 11 a.m. CT before taking on the Lady Hornets at 1 p.m. CT.
