Tag: Amelia Lech

Auburn softball sweeps doubleheader of Northwestern and USC Upstate

After a rain delay saw Auburn softball’s tournament get delayed, the Tigers swept a doubleheader on Saturday against Northwestern and USC Upstate.

The Auburn Tigers continued their winning ways, coming back after a weather suspension on Friday to sweep a doubleheader on Saturday.

Auburn took on Northwestern and USC Upstate as part of the Jane B. Moore Memorial Tournament at Jane B. Moore Field. The first game of the day’s events saw a pitcher’s duel take place, with the Tigers taking the 1-0 win in the end. Auburn found its offense in game two, taking out USC Upstate 10-4.

Head coach [autotag]Mickey Dean[/autotag] made sure to show how proud he was of his pitchers when the games got put in tough spots.

“Just a phenomenal job in the circle from both Maddie (Penta) and Annabelle (Widra),” Dean said. “We found a way to win in that first game against a tough pitcher. We kept battling at the plate in that second game. I like how we continued to compete. Annabelle did a fantastic job giving us a chance to win that game.”

It took Auburn (10-2-1) a few innings before it was able to stick the only run of the game on the board against Northwestern (7-6). A [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag] walk began the 4th inning, where she was then lifted for pinch runner Thalia Martin, who advanced to third on two later groundouts.

With two outs and the Wildcats close to getting out of the inning, [autotag]Aubrie Lisenby[/autotag] slapped a ball over to third, which then resulted in a throwing error by the Northwestern third baseman and a run scored by the Tigers.

While the Wildcats had a chance to tie it in the 7th with a runner on third, [autotag]Rose Roach[/autotag] fielded a grounder and fired it to the plate where Lisenby protected the shutout.

The second game of the twin bill began positively for the Tigers as [autotag]Anna Wohlers[/autotag] drew a walk before giving way to [autotag]Amelia Lech[/autotag], who hit an RBI double to give Auburn the early 1-0 lead over USC Upstate (8-8).

The Spartans then made a huge statement to open up the 2nd, as they quickly got the bases loaded before Denver Lauer sent a grand slam over the left field wall to give her a team a 4-1 lead.

What did the Tigers do as a result? Well, Rose Roach bunted for a single before [autotag]Skylar Elkins[/autotag] blasted a two-run home run to left field, cutting the deficit to one. It was Elkins’ first homer in her collegiate career.

Peralta hit a two-run shot of her own to give the Tigers the lead again in the 3rd, and Roach hit an infield single that would score [autotag]Makayla Packer[/autotag] later in the inning. Auburn scored four in the 4th to put the nail in coffin, securing the 10-4 win.

[autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] recorded her third-straight shutout in the win over Northwestern. She pitched the full seven innings, striking out 10, only walking one and only giving up four hits. [autotag]Annabelle Widra[/autotag] earned the win in the victory over USC Upstate, striking out four, giving up just one run and one hit in her 6.0 innings of relief for [autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag].

On the offensive side, Lech and Roach were the only Tigers to have a multi-hit performance in either game. Lech ended the day at 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a double, while Roach finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and three singles.

Auburn looks to build on this success with another doubleheader on Sunday, taking on North Texas at 12 p.m. CT and USC Upstate in a rematch at 3 p.m. CT.

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Auburn splits Saturday action with Northern Iowa, Southeast Missouri at Plainsman Invite

Auburn dropped a tough game to Northern Iowa before bouncing back to run-rule Southeast Missouri on Saturday at Jane B. Moore Field.

After producing a no-hit gem in Friday’s Plainsman Invite opener against Southeast Missouri, Auburn softball hoped to keep the momentum going by earning two more wins on Saturday.

Those dreams only halfway came true, as the Tigers suffered a split in Saturday’s twin bill. Auburn fell in its first game to defending Missouri Valley Conference champion Northern Iowa before bouncing back to run-rule Southeast Missouri in the second game of the day.

Here is a breakdown of how the second day of the Plainsman Invite shaped up for the Auburn Tigers.

NORTHERN IOWA 4 AUBURN 2

Game one of the day saw Auburn run into a stretch of bad luck in the 4th inning. The Tigers and Panthers were tied at 0-0 before Auburn committed three errors in the inning which led to four Northern Iowa runs. The Panthers extended its lead to 4-0 in the 6th inning on a solo home run. The Tigers tried to storm back in the 6th inning as [autotag]Icess Tresvik[/autotag] and [autotag]Amelia Lech[/autotag] each recorded RBI singles to cut the lead in half.

[autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] struck out 10 batters in the complete game effort, but the 4th inning errors cost her a chance to win the game. [autotag]KK McCrary[/autotag] led the Tigers in hits with two.

AUBURN 13 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5 (5 INNINGS)

The Tigers got back on track in game two of the day by blowing past Southeast Missouri in a run-rule effort. Auburn scored 13 runs on seven hits and three home runs. The biggest smash of the game came off the bat of [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag], who hit a grand slam in the 3rd inning. [autotag]Mariah Penta[/autotag] added to the Tigers’ eight-run 3rd inning with a solo home run, the first of her Auburn career. Lech put Auburn on the board one inning earlier with her fifth home run of the season, a solo blast.

Shelby Lowe followed her no-hit performance in Friday’s win over the Redhawks by allowing just three hits in 2 1/3 innings of work. [autotag]Annabelle Widra[/autotag] got the win in relief by sitting down the only two batters she faced on 13 pitches.

SUNDAY’S ACTION

Auburn concludes the Plainsman Invite on Sunday with a rematch against Northern Iowa. First pitch between the Tigers and Panthers is set for 2 p.m. CT.

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Penta, Lech named to 2024 Puerto Vallarta All-Tournament Team

Maddie Penta and Amelia Lech played key roles in Auburn’s 3-0 stay in Mexico.

Auburn pitcher [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] and first basemen/catcher [autotag]Amelia Lech[/autotag] have been named to the Puerto Vallarta All-Tournament team following their performances during the Tigers’ 3-0 run in Mexico.

Penta picked up the win in Auburn’s first matchup with Wichita State, throwing 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball. The senior perplexed Shocker hitters all day long, striking out 10 while allowing just 3 hits.

She got the ball again against No. 16 Utah, where the reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year was even more dominant. Penta only struck out 5 Utes on the afternoon but managed to go the distance in 7 wonderful frames of shutout ball.

As for Lech, the junior did all of her damage in the Tigers’ game against UC Davis. Lech drove home all six Auburn runs in the 6-3 win, homering twice. The second home run came in the bottom of the sixth with her team trailing 4-3.

Auburn’s tournament ultimately was cut short due to weather, but the 3-0 mark improved the No. 24 Tigers to 4-1-1 on the season. They have not suffered a loss since the first game of the season against Virginia Tech.

The junior Lech is off to an incredible start to the campaign with 4 home runs and 9 RBIs in just 14 at-bats. As for Penta, she has picked up right where she left off after last year. The senior has a 1.12 ERA over 25 innings pitched this season. The Chesapeake City, MD native has struck out 31 opposing hitters over those 25 innings.

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Auburn knocks off UC Davis, No. 13 Utah in day two of Puerto Vallarta College Challenge

Late game heroics lifted Auburn to two wins on Thursday and keeps them unbeaten on the week.

The No. 25 Auburn Tigers needed late game heroics to earn its first win of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge over Wichita State on Wednesday. The trend would continue Thursday as Auburn pulled off two more late-inning victories.

[autotag]Amelia Lech[/autotag]’s two home run day in game one against UC Davis and a bases-loaded walk in the final frame of game two against No. 13 Utah keeps Auburn unbeaten on the week.

AUBURN 6 UC-DAVIS 3

Auburn hopped on the Aggies quickly on an Amelia Lech grand slam in the bottom of the 1st inning to give the Tigers a 4-0 advantage. The score would remain until the top of the 6th inning when UC Davis used two singles and smart base running to trim the Tiger lead to 4-3.

In a moment of need, Lech was called upon again in the bottom of the 6th. She delivered again by crushing her second home run of the game. Her two-run blast ultimately became the winning run, as the [autotag]Annabelle Widra[/autotag] closed out the game by shutting down the Aggies in the 7th.

Lech was responsible for all six of Auburn’s runs in the win over UC Davis. [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag] and [autotag]Makayla Packer[/autotag] joined Lech in recording two hits in the win. [autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag] got the win for Auburn in the circle by striking out five batters and allowing two earned runs in 5.0 innings. Widra earned the save.

AUBURN 1 NO. 13 UTAH 0

The second game of the day was a treat for those who enjoy great defensive play. The Tigers and Utes combined to record 13 base hits, and a combined total of 19 runners were left on, but it would be a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 7th that decided the game.

Makayla Packer showed patience at the plate by watching four straight pitches sail out of the zone to earn a base on balls. The four-pitch walk scored [autotag]KK McCrary[/autotag] from 3rd base to lift Auburn over the No. 13 Utah Utes.

Auburn recorded a hit in every inning of their win over Utah, but managed to leave 10 runners stranded. McCrary was the lone Tiger to earn multiple hits in the game, while Nelia Peralta was left on base five times.

[autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] went the distance for Auburn in the win over Utah. She allowed six hits and two walks while striking out five batters.

NEXT GAME

Auburn will have a rare day off Friday as rain is expected to wash out play at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. The Tigers will return to play on Saturday as they face No. 8 Clemson in a regional rematch from last season. Clemson is 2-0 so far on the week with wins over Wichita State and UC-San Diego.

Auburn and Clemson will battle on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed live on FloSoftball‘s website.

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Saved by rain: Auburn softball’s rematch with Virginia Tech ends in tie

Sometimes, rain truly is a good thing.

During softball season, rain is usually not a welcome guest. However, for Auburn, a rain delay could not have come at a better time.

The No. 20 Tigers entered the 7th inning of Saturday’s rematch with Virginia Tech tied at 5-5. Three Hokies reached base in the inning, setting up Bre Peck for a chance to push her team ahead by a wide margin.

Peck delivered.

Peck smashed a 1-1 fastball over the left field wall for a grand slam, Virginia Tech’s second grand slam over Auburn in as many days, to go ahead, 9-5. However, the long ball will not go down in the record books.

Shortly after Peck’s grand slam, the game went into a delay due to heavy rain. The delay lasted over two hours, which led officials to end the game as the rain appeared to have no end in sight. The 7th inning was not completed, therefore the box score must revert to the last complete inning, thus ending the game in a 5-5 time.

Prior to the abrupt end to the game, two Tigers added home runs to their early-season total. [autotag]KK McCrary[/autotag] put Auburn on the board in the 3rd inning by hitting a solo home run to left field. Her second home run of the weekend pushed Auburn ahead, 1-0.

Virginia Tech answered in the top of the 5th inning. Emma Ritter doubled to left field with two outs to score Cori McMillan from 3rd base to tie the game at 1-1. The Hokies took the lead on a throwing error in the next at-bat to score Ritter and Rachel Castine to move Virginia Tech ahead, 3-1.

The Tigers answered with a three-spot of their own in the bottom of the inning. [autotag]Abbey Smith[/autotag] took advantage of a wild pitch by scoring from 3rd base to cut the Hokies lead to 3-2. Two at-bats later, [autotag]Amelia Lech[/autotag] drilled her second home run of the season, a two-run shot, to give the Tigers the lead back, 4-3.

The teams traded scores in the 6th inning to create the 5-5 tie. Castine hit a two-run shot to give Virginia Tech a 5-4 lead, then a fielding error in the bottom half allowed [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag] to score to tie the game yet again.

Auburn recorded five hits in the game, with zero players recording more than one hit. Lech was the top hitter in the contest, as her two-run home run would be enough to give her the RBI lead. Castine lead the Hokies in the hits category with two.

[autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] earned the edge in her anticipated pitching battle with Virginia Tech’s Emma Lemley. Penta went 4.2 innings, where she allowed three hits and three walks while striking out eight. Lemlee allowed three hits and struck out one in 4.0 innings of work. However, she walked seven batters. Three of those batters were issued free passes in the 1st inning.

Auburn’s originally scheduled game with Illinois has been canceled to the rain. The Tigers will return to action Sunday at 2 p.m. CT to face Belmont on the final day of the Tiger Invitational.

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Auburn softball splits season-opening twin bill with Virginia Tech, Belmont

The No. 19 Tigers dropped its opener with Virginia Tech before bouncing back to stomp Belmont in the nightcap.

The 2024 campaign has officially kicked off for the No. 19 Auburn Tigers, and they close out opening day with a 1-1 record.

Auburn met Virginia Tech and Belmont on Friday as part of the opening day of the Tiger Invitational at Jane B. Moore Field. The first game of the day saw Auburn force extra innings with the Hokies before ultimately suffering defeat, 8-1. The Tigers were able to bounce back in game two by earning a five-run win over Belmont to close the day, 6-1.

Head coach [autotag]Mickey Dean[/autotag] shared what he hopes to see his team improve upon before Saturday’s action.

“We weren’t consistent with extra-base hits throughout the day,” Dean said. “We’re hitting balls to the fence but getting singles. We need to be more aggressive on the base paths. We weren’t productive with runners on base. We struck out a lot with runners on base. We can’t win ball games like that.”

Auburn (1-1) struck first in its opening game with Virginia Tech (2-0). Maryland transfer [autotag]Amelia Lech[/autotag] introduced herself to the Auburn faithful by drilling a solo home run over the center field fence to put the Tigers up, 1-0 in the 4th inning. Virginia Tech’s Emily LeGette answered by hitting a solo shot of her own to tie the game in the ensuing inning.

The game remained tied at 1-1 until the top of the 8th inning when Virginia Tech rattled off seven runs to end the game with an 8-1 win. The Hokies scored runs on an Auburn error, a sacrifice fly, and a single, with the final blow being a grand slam off the bat of Rachel Castine.

The second-half of the twinbill began the same as the first, with a solo home run. This time, it was [autotag]KK McCrary[/autotag] that did the damage. Her 1st inning home run put Auburn ahead of Belmont (1-1), 1-0, and the Tigers would ride that momentum to a 6-1 victory over the Bruins. McCrary and [autotag]Skylar Elkins[/autotag] each had two RBI in the contest.

[autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] struck out eight batters in 7.0 innings of work in the Tigers loss to Virginia Tech. She allowed six hits, a walk, and an earned run in her season debut. [autotag]Annabelle Widra[/autotag] earned the win over Belmont by striking out five batters over 2.0 innings.  [autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag] combined to strike out three batters in 3.0 innings between both games.

Offensively, [autotag]Icess Tresvik[/autotag] was the lone batter to record multiple hits in either game, as she ended the day going 4-or-8 at the plate with three singles and a double.

Auburn looks to avenge Friday’s loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday by facing the Hokies in a rematch at 1 p.m. CT. The Tigers will also meet Illinois at 4 p.m. CT for the first time this weekend. The Fighting Illini dropped both of their games on Friday to Virginia Tech and Belmont respectively.

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Auburn adds Maryland slugger from transfer portal

Amelia Lech ended the 2023 campaign with 16 home runs, which was the second-most in the Big Ten.

Auburn softball has found replacements for the two power hitters that it lost to the transfer portal.

After adding former DePaul star Anna Wohlers on Wednesday, former Maryland catcher [autotag]Amelia Lech[/autotag] announced that she would also transfer to Auburn. She announced her commitment to Auburn via Twitter with the caption “I’m all in. War Eagle” followed by two photos of her wearing her new team’s threads.

Auburn adds star power to its roster in the form of Lech, as she finished the 2023 season with 16 home runs, which is tied for second-most in the Big Ten with Nebraska‘s Billie Andrews. She was also top-10 in RBI with 47.

Lech had a breakout season in 2023 for the Terrapins. After playing in just 29 games during the 2022 season, Lech appeared in 57 games in 2023, making 53 starts. She recorded 41 hits, 11 doubles, 16 home runs, and drove in 47 runs while slugging .694. She hit for an average of .285 and struck out just 48 times in 144 at-bats.

Six members of Auburn’s 2023 roster entered the transfer portal, with Bri Ellis and Lindsey Garcia finding new homes. [autotag]Denver Bryant[/autotag], [autotag]Carlee McCondichie[/autotag], [autotag]Jessie Blaine[/autotag], and [autotag]Maia Engelkes[/autotag] remain in the transfer portal as of the timing of this post.

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