Tag: Nelia Peralta

Auburn shuts out Georgia State behind Penta’s perfect game

The Auburn ace has now struck out 34 batters while allowing just two hits over her last three appearances in the circle.

If anyone can top a no-hit, 11-strikeout performance in her next appearance, it is Auburn right-hander [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag].

Last weekend, Penta completed the second no-hitter of the Plainsman Invite by shutting out Northern Iowa. Thursday, she took it one step further by tossing a perfect game in Auburn’s 8-0 run-rule win over Georgia State at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn.

Penta meant business early on by striking out the first batter of the game. She went on to strike out at least two batters over the final five innings and reached a streak of nine straight strikeouts between the 3rd and 6th innings to end the game with a season-best 13 strikeouts. Penta’s perfect game is the third in program history, and the first since [autotag]Kaylee Carlson[/autotag]’s perfect game against Ohio State in 2017.

Head coach [autotag]Mickey Dean[/autotag] credits the entire defense for Thursday’s perfect performance.

“Perfect games are special,” Dean said. “Maddie stayed ahead and put them away early in the count. A great game behind the plate from Aubrie (Lisenby) to go along with some great defensive efforts. We got some timely hits late to put it away.”

Auburn’s bats took a while to warm up Thursday, as they held a 1-0 advantage through three innings. Auburn’s offense came to life in the middle innings as they scored six runs over the next two innings. Auburn’s four-run 5th inning was headlined by a two-run RBI single by [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag]. [autotag]Chelea Clemmons[/autotag] put the run-rule into effect in the 6th inning by sending [autotag]Mariah Penta[/autotag] home on an RBI single.

Penta and [autotag]Makayla Packer[/autotag] combined to record four of Auburn’s eight hits while [autotag]Aubrie Lisenby[/autotag] ended the game with three RBI.

Auburn returns to Jane B. Moore Field this weekend to host Northwestern, North Texas, and USC Upstate as part of the Jane B. Moore Memorial. Auburn opens the weekend at 5 p.m. CT Friday against Northwestern, a Women’s College World Series participant from last season.

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Penta, Auburn gets revenge on Northern Iowa to close Plainsman Invite

Maddie Penta tossed her fifth-career no-hitter on Sunday as Auburn knocked off Northern Iowa on Sunday.

Saturday, the Northern Iowa Panthers took advantage of several Auburn miscues in the 4th inning to upset the Tigers on day two of the Plainsman Invite at Jane B. Moore Field. [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] struck out 10 batters in a complete game effort, but three 4th inning errors pushed the Panthers to a 4-2 win.

Sunday, Penta and the Tigers got revenge.

Penta struck out 11 more Northern Iowa batters and recorded her fifth collegiate no-hitter as the Tigers defeated the Panthers, 1-0 to close out the Plainsman Invite. She allowed two base runners, one via walk and the other on a throwing error in the 2nd base.

“Through the beginning of this season, I’ve had to work my way into my in-game mechanics,” Penta said after the game. “Yesterday’s performance wasn’t my best. I went to the bullpen and messed around with some things. I came out here and used my legs a lot better. It made my rise better and my change-up more deceptive. Perfecting my mechanics helps me throw all my pitches better.”

Northern Iowa’s pitching nearly matched Penta’s performance as Samantha Heyer and Maddy McDermott combined to strike out 10 batters while allowing just two hits. The lone score in the game came off the bat of [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag], who laid down a sacrifice bunt in the 2nd inning to score the speedy [autotag]Makayla Packer [/autotag]from 3rd base. Packer and [autotag]Icess Tresvik[/autotag] recorded the only hits on the day for Auburn.

The Tigers close out the Plainsman Invite with a 3-1 record, and have improved to 7-2-1 overall. Auburn travels to Birmingham for a date with UAB on Wednesday before returning to Jane B. Moore Field next weekend to host the Jane B. Moore Memorial.

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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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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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Auburn softball opens Puerto Vallarta College Challenge with extra-inning win

The No. 21 Tigers needed late-game heroics to win its first game in Mexico.

The No. 25 Auburn Tigers began their stay at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge a day earlier than expected by playing its first game of the weekend on Wednesday rather than Thursday due to impending rain.

Wednesday’s opener against Wichita State played out similarly to the Tigers’ season opener with Virginia Tech last Friday, where the game needed extra innings to complete. However, Auburn managed to sneak out with an 8-6 win over the Shockers.

Auburn led Wichita State, 6-1, heading to the bottom of the 7th inning before the Shockers stormed back to force extra innings. With two outs in the inning, Wichita State’s Bailey Urban nailed a grand slam to cut the Auburn lead to 6-5, and a wild pitch two at-bats later allowed another run to score to force extra innings.

[autotag]Rose Roach[/autotag] and [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag] teamed up to play the role of hero in the top of the 8th inning to seal the win. Roach grounded out to allow [autotag]Axe Milanowski[/autotag] to score from 3rd base to push the Tigers ahead by one run. One at-bat later, Peralta singled up the inning to score [autotag]Skylar Elkins[/autotag] to extend the Tigers’ lead to 8-6.

Wichita State failed to answer, as they went down in order in the bottom half of the 8th inning to end the game.

Roach was the Tigers’ top batter in the game by going 1-for-3 at the plate with three RBI. Peralta and Elkins followed suit with two RBI each. Maddie Penta allowed three hits over 6.1 innings of work in the victory, striking out 10 batters.

Auburn returns to the field Thursday to face UC Davis and No. 16 Utah at noon and 2:30 p.m. CT respectively. FloSoftball will handle the broadcast of each game.

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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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Maddie Penta, Nelia Peralta named preseason All-SEC

Two of Auburn’s top playmakers from last season are poised for another great season.

Auburn softball’s top playmakers from last season are earning preseason respect from SEC head coaches.

Senior pitcher [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] and junior shortstop [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag] were recently named to the 2024 preseason All-SEC team, as voted on by the 13 head coaches representing SEC programs.

The All-SEC preseason nod is one of many that Penta has collected this preseason. Penta is also a member of D1Softball’s top 100, Softball America’s top 100, Softball America’s top 25 pitchers, and is on USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year watchlist.

The 2023 season was a decorated one for Penta, who took home three All-American honors and was named SEC Pitcher of the Year after striking out 303 batters and posting an ERA of 1.33 in 220.0 innings of work.

Peralta returns to Auburn as the team’s leading hitter from a season ago. Peralta hit at a .329 clip with 54 hits, nine home runs, and 23 RBI. She collected 92 total bases and slugged .561. Her efforts landed her a spot on the NFCA All-Southeast Region team and a place on the All-SEC second team.

Penta, Peralta, and the rest of the Tigers will open the season on Feb. 9 against Virginia Tech at Jane B. Moore Field.

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Auburn softball picked to finish 5th by SEC coaches

The Tigers are looking to build on its most successful season since 2017.

Auburn softball enjoyed its most successful season since 2017 last season and is poised to capitalize in 2024.

The preseason SEC coaches poll has been released for the 2024 season, and head coaches from the conference predict that the Tigers will finish fifth this season after Auburn earns 100 points in the preseason forecast.

Auburn earned 43 overall wins in 2023 and finished the tough SEC slate with a 15-9 record. Included in those 15 wins were a sweep of Missouri and series wins over Alabama and LSU. This season, Auburn will meet eight teams ranked in D1Softball’s preseason poll beginning with No. 7 Clemson and No. 14 Utah during the Puerto Vallarta Challenge Feb. 15-17.

Auburn will boast a solid pitching staff this season led by [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag]. The senior from Chesapeake City, Maryland has struck out 677 total batters while posting an ERA of 1.75 in 106 appearances over the last three seasons on the Plains. Notable lineup pieces such as [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag], [autotag]Rose Roach[/autotag], and [autotag]Makayla Packer[/autotag] also return to [autotag]Mickey Dean[/autotag]’s club this season.

Auburn begins the 2024 season on Friday, Feb. 9 by hosting Virginia Tech and Belmont on day one of the Tiger Invitational at Jane B. Moore Field.

Here’s a look at the 2024 SEC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll

2024 SEC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll

(First-place votes in Parentheses)

Place School Points
1. Tennessee (6) 137
2. Georgia (6) 136
3. LSU 106
4. Arkansas 103
5. Auburn 100
6. Alabama 88
7. Florida (1) 77
8. Texas A&M 75
9. South Carolina 68
10. Kentucky 53
11. Missouri 28
12. Ole Miss 24
13. Mississippi State 19

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Auburn checks in at No. 20 in Softball America’s preseason top 25 poll

The Tigers are one of nine SEC squads to be featured in Softball America’s initial poll for the 2024 season.

The Auburn Tigers are poised for another strong season in 2024 and will begin the season ranked in the top 25 of one publication’s preseason poll.

Softball America has released its preseason top 25 poll ahead of the 2024 season, and Auburn checks in at No. 20.

The Tigers are one of nine SEC squads to find a place in the preseason poll. Tennessee is the conference’s highest-rated team at No. 2. Georgia (No. 6) and Arkansas (No. 8) round out the SEC’s top-10 representation. LSU, South Carolina, and Texas A&M are in the top 20 with a No. 12, No. 17, and No. 19 ranking respectively. Auburn is next at No. 20, followed by Alabama (No. 21) and Florida (No. 24).

Future SEC members Oklahoma and Texas are also in the poll. The Sooners will begin the season as the nation’s No. 1 team while Texas is not far behind at No. 7.

The Tigers are looking to earn a spot in the Women’s College World Series for the first time since 2016. Last season, Auburn finished the season with 43 wins, the most since the 2017 season. Pitcher [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] and shortstop [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag] headline Auburn’s returning stars for the 2024 season, a year in which head coach Mickey Dean will look to find replacements for key contributors such as [autotag]Bri Ellis[/autotag], [autotag]Denver Bryant[/autotag], and [autotag]Lindsey Garcia[/autotag].

Auburn opens the 2024 season on Friday, Feb. 9 against Virginia Tech as part of the Tiger Invitational.

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Maddie Penta included in D1Softball’s D100 player rankings

Penta won 27 games and struck out 303 batters in 2023.

Auburn softball’s [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] had a season to remember in 2023.

The junior ace logged 220.2 innings of work over 43 appearances. Over that span, she struck out 303 batters and walked just 55 batters. D1Softball considers Penta to be one of the best players in college softball, which is why she is ranked highly in the publication’s D100 player rankings. D1Softball places Penta in the No. 14 slot in this year’s list.

Plenty of people agreed that Auburn was going to be a tough out in the postseason. Why? The Tigers were led by Penta. She was one of two players with 300-plus Ks this season, striking out 10 or more in 10 games. Penta averaged around 70 MPH on her fastball and riseball, which allowed her to use a changeup that had a 45 percent.

Penta will return to the Tigers’ roster for the 2024 season, joining several key returners such as [autotag]Makayla Packer[/autotag], [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag], and [autotag]Rose Roach[/autotag].

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