From our friend and AU softball publicist Matty Penland ...
AUBURN, Ala. – No. 11 Auburn softball scored early and often as the Tigers routed Alabama State 22-0 in front of 1,686 Wednesday at Plainsman Park. It is the Tigers’ largest margin of victory since defeating Arkansas 23-0 on April 16, 2016.
Auburn’s offensive clinic included 15 hits and 11 free passes on walks. Five of those hits went for extra bases. Victoria Draper, KK Crocker and Justus Perry each had two hits to pace the team as eight of Auburn’s nine starters finished the game with at least one hit.
It is the Tigers’ 18th shutout of the season, which is the fifth-most in program history.
“They came out ready and we did what we were supposed to do,” head coach Mickey Dean said.
Perry’s two hits were both home runs and both came in the third inning. It is the first time in program history that a player has hit two home runs in the same inning. Additionally, the Prior Lake, Minn. product became the first Tiger to homer twice in the same game since Haley Fagan did so last season against Alabama, and is the 20th player in program history to hit two or more home runs in a game.
“I was really just trying to see ball, hit ball,” Perry said. “With SEC (play), I’ve been struggling a little bit. I haven’t really been able to find my swings. I’ve been out here more and more as that kept happening, but I was really just trying to see my zone better. It seemed like I wasn’t really able to find it these past few weekends, so it feels good. I feel like I’m finally settling down.”
The Tigers started the game with a bang bringing across eight runs in the first inning. After a leadoff infield single, Draper, a native of Moulton, Ala., tallied her 33rd stolen base of the season, tying the Auburn single-season school record set by Shannon Anderson in 2004. Draper finished with two hits in the inning, the second being a RBI single to plate Morgan Podany for the Tigers’ eighth run.
Auburn tacked on five more runs in the second inning and exploded for nine more in the third. In total, the Tigers tallied 22 runs with 20 RBI. Perry’s two round-trippers led to four RBI to pace the team while Tannon Snow had three of her own on a 3-RBI triple. Casey McCrackin, Makenna Dowell and Podany also had multi-RBI outings, tallying two apiece.
Sandwiched between the high scoring home half of the innings was another outstanding performance in the circle by the Auburn pitching staff. Chardonnay Harris (3-2) got the start in the circle for the second time of her career and tossed three perfect innings with four strikeouts to pick up her third win of the season.
“She got ahead and did exactly what we asked her to do,” Dean said. “She did a nice job.”
Ashlee Swindle and Kara Bilodeau split the last two innings allowing one hit and one base on balls between the two with four more strikeouts. Swindle found herself in a bases-loaded jam in the fourth, but bounced back to retire the side and preserve the shutout.
Auburn improved to 28-6 (2-4 SEC) on the season while Alabama State fell to 9-20. Hornets starting pitcher Justine Jean (3-6) was charged with the loss.
The Tigers will now turn their attention back to SEC play as they welcome the 19th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats to the Plains for a three-game series beginning Friday at 6 p.m. CT.
AUBURN, Ala. – No. 11 Auburn softball scored early and often as the Tigers routed Alabama State 22-0 in front of 1,686 Wednesday at Plainsman Park. It is the Tigers’ largest margin of victory since defeating Arkansas 23-0 on April 16, 2016.
Auburn’s offensive clinic included 15 hits and 11 free passes on walks. Five of those hits went for extra bases. Victoria Draper, KK Crocker and Justus Perry each had two hits to pace the team as eight of Auburn’s nine starters finished the game with at least one hit.
It is the Tigers’ 18th shutout of the season, which is the fifth-most in program history.
“They came out ready and we did what we were supposed to do,” head coach Mickey Dean said.
Perry’s two hits were both home runs and both came in the third inning. It is the first time in program history that a player has hit two home runs in the same inning. Additionally, the Prior Lake, Minn. product became the first Tiger to homer twice in the same game since Haley Fagan did so last season against Alabama, and is the 20th player in program history to hit two or more home runs in a game.
“I was really just trying to see ball, hit ball,” Perry said. “With SEC (play), I’ve been struggling a little bit. I haven’t really been able to find my swings. I’ve been out here more and more as that kept happening, but I was really just trying to see my zone better. It seemed like I wasn’t really able to find it these past few weekends, so it feels good. I feel like I’m finally settling down.”
The Tigers started the game with a bang bringing across eight runs in the first inning. After a leadoff infield single, Draper, a native of Moulton, Ala., tallied her 33rd stolen base of the season, tying the Auburn single-season school record set by Shannon Anderson in 2004. Draper finished with two hits in the inning, the second being a RBI single to plate Morgan Podany for the Tigers’ eighth run.
Auburn tacked on five more runs in the second inning and exploded for nine more in the third. In total, the Tigers tallied 22 runs with 20 RBI. Perry’s two round-trippers led to four RBI to pace the team while Tannon Snow had three of her own on a 3-RBI triple. Casey McCrackin, Makenna Dowell and Podany also had multi-RBI outings, tallying two apiece.
Sandwiched between the high scoring home half of the innings was another outstanding performance in the circle by the Auburn pitching staff. Chardonnay Harris (3-2) got the start in the circle for the second time of her career and tossed three perfect innings with four strikeouts to pick up her third win of the season.
“She got ahead and did exactly what we asked her to do,” Dean said. “She did a nice job.”
Ashlee Swindle and Kara Bilodeau split the last two innings allowing one hit and one base on balls between the two with four more strikeouts. Swindle found herself in a bases-loaded jam in the fourth, but bounced back to retire the side and preserve the shutout.
Auburn improved to 28-6 (2-4 SEC) on the season while Alabama State fell to 9-20. Hornets starting pitcher Justine Jean (3-6) was charged with the loss.
The Tigers will now turn their attention back to SEC play as they welcome the 19th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats to the Plains for a three-game series beginning Friday at 6 p.m. CT.
