AUBURN, Ala. – Offense came to play on Sunday as No. 25 Auburn softball (12-2-1) used a pair of home runs to walk off wins over North Texas and USC Upstate to conclude the Jane B. Moore Memorial at Jane B. Moore Field.
Backed by a fourth consecutive shutout effort from Maddie Penta, Auburn topped North Texas 8-0. It was Penta's younger sister, Mariah, that came through with a three-run home run to end the game in six innings. The Tigers had to come from behind to take down USC Upstate. With the game tied 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Makayla Packer knocked a grand slam to lift Auburn to an 8-4 win.
"That was fun," said head coach Mickey Dean. "We had some kids try to put forth some great efforts today. Even in the innings we didn't score, we put pressure on them. Pressure tends to do funny things. We kept the pressure on. Makayla (Packer) was ready. She knew exactly what's going to happen there. She knew exactly what the pitcher was going to try to do. She capitalized. It was beautiful."
In another stellar performance, Maddie Penta (6-2) allowed just a pair of base runners off two hits to record her 18th career shutout, tying Anna Thompson for third in program history. For the fifth straight start, Penta tallied double-digit strikeouts as she closed the day with 11. Penta now stands one win shy of tying Kaylee Carlson for the program's career wins record.
After three scoring innings, it was Packer who sparked the offense with a triple, her first extra-base hit of the season. Anna Wholers drove her in with a sacrifice fly to put Auburn up 1-0. It was the home run ball that did the damage in the fifth inning as KK McCrary and Wohlers both knocked two-run blasts to extend the lead to 5-0.
Leading off the sixth with singles from Nelia Peralta and Icess Tresvik to set the table, the younger Penta delivered the walk-off, pinch-hit homer, just the second of her freshman career, with a three-run blast to left center.
Auburn struck early in its contest with USC Upstate, as McCrary and Packer knocked a pair of singles and moved into scoring position off a Spartan error. Wohlers cleared the bags with a single up the middle to pick up her fourth and fifth RBI during Sunday's doubleheader.
Upstate answered with two home runs in the bottom of the second to take a 3-2 lead before adding a fourth run in the top of the third off a fielder's choice as Auburn's play at the plate was late.
Freshman Malayna Tamborra kept the Tigers in the game as she tossed four innings of relief, helping keep Upstate's offense in check. Tamborra allowed just one run off three hits in one of her strongest outings of the season thus far.
Auburn chipped at the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run from Skylar Elkins to make it a one-run game. Tresvik delivered the game-tying hit as her two-out single to right field in the sixth brought home Wohlers.
The Tigers loaded the bases in the seventh with an Elkins single, an Upstate error on a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk issued to McCrary. Packer delivered the first home run of her senior season and her first since April 27, 2022, to walk off the game in grand fashion.
Shelby Lowe picked up the win in relief of r Auburn. She tossed 1.1 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out one to move to 3-0 on the season.
Auburn returns to the diamond on Tuesday for Taylor Swift night at Jane B. Moore Field as the Tigers take on Troy in a midweek tilt. First pitch on the SEC Network+ is set for 5:30 p.m. CT.
