Tag: Shelby Lowe

South Carolina bounces Auburn from SEC Softball Tournament with late rally

The No. 10 seeded Gamecocks continue their impressive run by knocking off No. 3 Auburn on Friday.

Regular season records usually hold zero merits in the postseason. The South Carolina Gamecocks are proving that this week in the SEC Softball Tournament.

The No. 10 seeded Gamecocks stunned No. 2 Georgia on Thursday with a late run in extra innings to earn the 2-1 win. On Friday, South Carolina once again scored go-ahead runs in the 7th inning to knock off No. 3 Auburn in the SEC Tournament semi-finals.

Auburn took a 2-1 lead in the bottom half of the 2nd inning, a lead that would remain until the top of the 7th inning when South Carolina’s Jordan Fabian hit a two-run home run with two outs in the frame to take the lead away from the Tigers.

Auburn outhit the Gamecocks, 6-3, but stranded nine runners on base. Despite that, head coach [autotag]Mickey Dean[/autotag] says that he was pleased with his team’s ability to battle.

“Both teams battled well,” Dean said Friday. “It wasn’t the cleanest game. Sometimes that all you ask of your team is to go out there and battle and play. We’ll go back and look at the mistakes and make adjustments before the remainder of the postseason.”

South Carolina kicked off scoring in the 1st inning on a sacrifice fly by Aniyah Black that was deep enough to score Zoe Laneaux from 3rd base. Auburn tied the game in the 1st on a single by [autotag]Makayla Packer[/autotag] that turned into an error to score Skylar Elkins. Packer scored later in the inning on a two-out double to right field by Rose Roach.

Six different players recorded a hit for the Tigers, with Roach being credited with the lone RBI and extra-base hit. Newly named SEC Pitcher of the Year, [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag], tossed 3.0 innings in her start. She allowed three walks and struck out four while allowing an unearned run to score. [autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag] was credited with the loss after allowing two runs and three hits in 4.0 innings of relief while striking out four.

With the win, South Carolina moves on to the SEC Tournament championship, where they will face the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, Tennessee, on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT. Auburn will learn its’ NCAA Regional fate on Sunday during the tournament selection show that will air at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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Auburn softball drops second game of series to Mississippi State

Auburn goes for the series win on Sunday.

After picking up a win in the first game of the series, the Auburn Tigers (38-16, 14-9 SEC) fell 5-4 in nine innings to the Mississippi State Bulldogs (28-23, 7-15 SEC) in the second game of the series at Jane B. Moore Field yesterday afternoon.

“We fought,” said Auburn head coach [autotag]Mickey Dean[/autotag]. “We have to put ourselves in better defensive positions and clean things up on defense on Sunday. It’s little things, but defense is who we are. We need to return to that.”

Junior left-hander [autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag] got the start for Auburn and allowed four runs off of seven hits, walked one batter and struck out four in five innings of work. Sophomore right-hander [autotag]Annabelle Widra[/autotag] pitched the remaining four innings and allowed one run off of three hits and struck two batters out.

Senior right-hander Aspen Wesley got the start for Mississippi State and allowed two runs off of two hits, walked three batters and struck out two in two innings of work. Freshman right-hander Josey Marron went the rest of the way for the Bulldogs and allowed two runs off of three hits, walked three batters and struck out seven in seven innings on the mound.

Mississippi State got the scoring started in the top of the second inning when graduate catcher Jackie McKenna singled to right field to bring in a run.

Auburn took the lead in the bottom of the second inning when sophomore shortstop [autotag]Rose Roach[/autotag] singled to center field to bring in two runs.

The Bulldogs jumped back in front in the top of the fourth inning when shortstop Madisyn Kennedy hit a two-run homer to left center.

Auburn tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when Roach hit a sac-fly to center field to score junior third baseman [autotag]Denver Bryant[/autotag]. The Tigers took the lead back in the bottom of the fifth inning when sophomore left fielder [autotag]Abbey Smith[/autotag] scored on an error while base running.

Mississippi State struck back in the top of the sixth inning when McKenna reached on an infield single to drive in the tying run. In the top of the ninth inning, graduate left fielder Chloe Malau’ulu singled up the middle to bring in the go-ahead run. The Tigers were not able to answer back in the bottom of the inning and the Bulldogs picked up the 5-4 victory and evened up the series.

The rubber match is set for Sunday at 11:00 a.m. CDT. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Daniel on Twitter @DanielJLocke

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Auburn softball’s place in the RPI ahead of South Carolina series

Auburn is in a good position to continue its hot streak this weekend at South Carolina.

The No. 17 Auburn Tigers are getting hot at the right time, and they look to continue their streak of good fortune this weekend at South Carolina.

Winners of two straight series against top 25 teams within the SEC, Auburn travels to Columbia this weekend in hopes of winning its’ third-straight series against a challenging foe. South Carolina enters the weekend with a 7-11 record in conference play, but they have shown signs of great play this season by winning series’ over No. 14 Florida and No. 25 Texas A&M.

In a series that has the makings to be unpredictable, it is important for the Tigers to continue backing up pitchers [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] and [autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag] by playing great defense and recording timely hits.

Although history and numbers are not the most reliable indicator of how a series will shake out, it usually provides some clarity as to how each team has performed in several situations during a season. Ahead of this weekend’s series between Auburn and South Carolina, here is a look at the Tigers’ place in the RPI, provided by D1Softball.

Auburn splits Saturday doubleheader at Alabama behind Bryant’s big day

Denver Bryant hit two home runs and was responsible for scoring four of Auburn’s six total runs on Saturday.

Thunderstorms on Friday moved No. 19 Auburn‘s series opener at No. 14 Alabama to Saturday, setting up a twin bill at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Both teams were able to earn a win on Saturday behind stellar pitching.

Alabama (34-14, 10-7 SEC) used a three-run 5th inning in game one to build a comfortable lead, which led the way for a 6-1 series-opening win. In game two, Auburn (34-14, 10-7 SEC) jumped out to a 3-0 1st inning lead and cruised to a 5-1 win to even the series.

The one constant for Auburn in both games, however, was the bat of [autotag]Denver Bryant[/autotag].

In two games, Bryant went 2-5 with two homers and four RBI. Her second home run of the day was a three-run blast in the 1st inning of game two to put Auburn on the board, 3-0. Her solo home run in game one would be the lone run that the Tigers would score in the series opener.

GAME ONE: ALABAMA 6 AUBURN 1

[autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag] and [autotag]Annabelle Widra[/autotag] pitched for Auburn in game one. The pair combined to strike out four batters while allowing nine hits and five earned runs.

Alabama’s Ally Shipman was responsible for scoring Alabama’s first two runs of game one on a double and solo home run in the 1st and 4th innings respectively. Their big inning came in the 5th when Shipman, Ashley Prange, and Bailey Dowling each plated a run in the frame. A groundout by Larissa Preuitt in the 7th would score Alabama’s final run of the game.

Auburn would only record three total hits in the game, with [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag] grabbing two of them. Alabama’s Montana Fouts went the distance in the circle, striking out seven batters and allowing three hits, two walks, and an earned run.

GAME TWO: AUBURN 5 ALABAMA 1

Auburn quickly gained momentum in game two on Bryant’s three-run home run with two outs in the 1st inning. The Crimson Tide would chip into the lead in the bottom half when Kenleigh Callahan’s single scored Jenna Johnson from third base to cut the lead to 3-1.

Luckily, Auburn would be able to build insurance while not having to worry about Alabama scoring anymore. Auburn’s final runs were courtesy of Peralta and [autotag]Bri Ellis[/autotag]. Peralta hit a sacrifice fly in the 2nd inning to score Makayla Packer, and Ellis cranked her 12th home run of the season over the right field wall in the 6th to solidify Auburn’s victory.

[autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] turned in another great outing in the circle for Auburn, as she allowed just three hits and an earned run while walking one and striking out seven in 7.0 innings of work.

“Penta performed really well today,” Dean said of Penta’s performance on Saturday. “She was nervous that first inning. There are a lot of people here. It was a big day for Alabama softball, being ‘Montana Fouts Day’. She settled down. She did her thing.”

The Tigers and Tide will battle in a winner-take-all game three on Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. CT. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN, as well as the Auburn Sports Network.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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Auburn shuts out Jacksonville State

The Tigers hit two home runs and three pitchers combined for a shutout.

Some timely hitting and a dominant pitching performance were enough for Auburn to beat Jacksonville State 3-0 Wednesday at Jane B. Moore Field.

The Tigers (33-13, 9-6 SEC) jumped out to an early lead thanks to some two-out hitting by [autotag]Bri Ellis[/autotag]. After [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag] led the bottom of the first inning off with a walk, Ellis smashed her 11th home run of the season to center field to give Auburn a 2-0 lead.

“I went up to the plate a little excited,” Ellis said. “I swung at a ball over my head, and I don’t usually do that. I told myself during the at bat let it get deep and trust your hands. It was a good pitch to hit.”

The blast is the 31st of her Auburn career, moving her into 10th all-time in program history.

Those runs would prove to be enough as the trio of [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag], [autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag], and [autotag]Annabelle Widra[/autotag] who combined to throw Auburn’s 19th shutout of the season.

“All three of our pitchers worked ahead,” said head coach [autotag]Mickey Dean[/autotag]. “That forced JSU to hit their pitches. We played some great defense behind them. We’re taking pride in our defense. Defense is what gets you to where you want to go.”

Penta got the start and allowed two hits in three innings of work. She struck out three batters and walked one. The junior now has 601 strikeouts, making her just the fourth Auburn player to reach that mark.

Lowe and Widra both worked two innings and allowed just one hit each.

The Tigers got some breathing room in the fifth when [autotag]Icess Tresvik[/autotag] led the inning off with a line drive home run to left field.

“They were throwing me outside the zone,” Tresvik said. “I knew that they were going to make a mistake and throw me an inside pitch. That’s exactly what happened.”

The Tigers will return to action Friday when they head to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama (33-13, 9-6). Games one is set to start at 8 p.m. CT and will be on the SEC Network.

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Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

Auburn softball surges in RPI following series win over LSU

The Tigers are heating up at the right time.

The No. 21 Auburn Tigers needed a series win over a top-25 team to pad their resume and did so last weekend by taking two-of-three games from No. 13 LSU at Jane B. Moore Field.

Auburn got the job done thanks to stellar pitching and defense. Auburn held LSU to just six runs on 15 hits over the weekend. Auburn pitchers [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag], [autotag]Annabelle Widra[/autotag], and [autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag] also combined to strike out 21 batters.

The most impressive performance of the weekend from the Auburn pitching staff came Sunday in Auburn’s 1-0 extra-inning win. Penta allowed four hits while striking out seven batters in 8.2 innings of work. Lowe recorded the final out by striking out LSU’s Danieca Coffey on five pitches.

The series win over a top 25 team in LSU was impressive, which boosted their numbers in the latest Ratings Power Index from D1Softball. Auburn now sits in the top 25 and has a chance to improve their stock this weekend at No. 16 Alabama.

Here’s a look at where Auburn sits in the RPI ahead of this week’s games with Jacksonville State and Alabama.

Auburn softball sends LSU packing with walk-off single

Makayla Packer’s walk-off single in the 9th inning solidifies an important series win for Auburn over LSU.

The series finale between No. 21 Auburn and No. 13 LSU was must-see television for those who enjoy great pitching.

Both teams used two pitchers each and combined to strike out 15 batters and walk just six batters on Sunday afternoon. Neither staff allowed a run through 8 1/2 innings, but it all changed when [autotag]Makayla Packer[/autotag] stepped up to the plate with two outs in the 9th inning.

Packer hit a low line drive to right field which was just deep enough to score [autotag]Icess Tresvik[/autotag], who reached base earlier in the inning on an infield single. LSU’s McKenzie Redoutey threw the ball to catcher Ali Newland, but Tresvik just beat the tag to score the run, thus giving Auburn the 1-0 win.

Sunday’s win over LSU solidified Auburn’s third SEC series win of the season, and its’ first over a top-25 team.

“That’s the kind of game where you’re just cheering for the kid in the box because the pitchers on both sides this weekend were lights out,” head coach [autotag]Mickey Dean[/autotag] said after Auburn’s win on Sunday. “It wasn’t like it was bad hitting. It was just phenomenal pitching and defense on both ends. There were a lot of clutch plays from both teams. If you’re not coming to these games, you’re missing out.”

Auburn out-hit LSU, 7-4 on Sunday, with [autotag]KK McCrary[/autotag] and [autotag]Aubrey Lisenby[/autotag] being the only players for either team to record multiple hits.

LSU was held off of the scoreboard due to a great effort in the circle from [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] and [autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag]. Penta tossed 8.2 innings of four-hit softball, allowing just two walks and striking out seven batters.

“I’m tired but very excited my team pulled through at the end of the game,” Penta said Sunday. “You don’t get many pitching duels anymore. My defense really had my back and made some great plays. I wasn’t expecting to get as many strikeouts today because they just don’t strike out, but my defense was right there every time.”

Lowe recorded the final out in the 8th inning by striking out Danieca Coffey.

The Tigers return to action on Wednesday night by hosting Jax State at 6 p.m. CT. The midweek tilt will set up for another important SEC showdown next weekend at No. 16 Alabama.

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Auburn Softball drops second game of series to LSU

The loss sets up a winner-take-all game on Sunday afternoon.

The No. 21 Auburn Tigers (31-13, 8-6 SEC) dropped the second game of the series to the No. 13 LSU Tigers (34-9, 7-7 SEC) 3-2 this afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field.

“In these games, it always comes down to the small stuff,” said head coach [autotag]Mickey Dean[/autotag]. “The things that you don’t recognize like a leadoff walk or a bobble on relay all in one inning. That’s the difference in the game. We also had some base running miscues, so it is the little things. As long as our kids keep bringing the energy and keep playing hard, we’re going to be fine.”

[autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag] got the start for Auburn and allowed two runs off of two hits, walked no batters, and struck out five in four innings of work. [autotag]Annabelle Wildra[/autotag] provided three innings of relief and allowed one run off of three hits, walked one batter, and struck out three.

Sydney Berzon pitched the whole game for LSU and allowed two runs off of three hits, walked four batters, and struck out four in seven innings.

Auburn got the scoring started in the bottom of the third inning when [autotag]Lindsey Garcia[/autotag] reached on an infield single that scored [autotag]Kenadie Cooper[/autotag].

LSU got on the board in the top of the fourth inning when Georgia Clark hit a two-run homer over the left-field wall. The road Tigers added two more runs to take the lead in the top of the fifth inning when McKenzie Redoutey hit a two-run homer over the left field wall.

Garcia homered to left in the bottom of the sixth inning to bring Auburn within one, but that was all of the scoring.

The rubber match is set for Sunday at 3:00 p.m. CST.

RELATED: How to watch this weekend’s series between Auburn and LSU

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Auburn falls to Florida in extra innings to open series

Auburn fell to Florida 3-2 in game one of the series.

The No. 19 Auburn softball team pushed the No. 15 Florida Gators to the brink but was unable to come away with the victory in game one of the series, losing 3-2 in extra innings at Florida.

[autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag] had another strong start for the Tigers, holding the Gators to three runs (two earned) on three hits in 7.0 innings of work. She struck out 12 batters and walked three before she left the game after throwing 133 pitches.

“We battled,” said head coach [autotag]Mickey Dean[/autotag]. “It’s a tough one to talk about. We always talk about how defense has to travel. We fall on a fly ball. We come up short and don’t get our glove down on a ground ball. Our hitters battled. Our pitchers battled. We battled on defense late. When you’re playing on the road, runs are hard to come by. We can’t give runs away. We had an opportunity tonight. We have another opportunity tomorrow.”

Penta walked the first two batters in the bottom of the eighth inning, leading Dean to put in [autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag]. The Tigers intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases but Lowe gave up a single to the next hitter and Florida won 3-2.

The Tigers are now 28-11 overall and 6-4 in SEC play. They are allowing 2.6 runs per game in conference play but are scoring just 3.0 runs of their own.

The Tigers found themselves trailing after the Gators scored two runs in the third inning. They got a run back in the fifth inning when [autotag]Aspen Godwin[/autotag] scored on a Florida error.

Down to their final out in the seventh inning, [autotag]Icess Tresvic[/autotag] blasted a solo home run to left field to tie it up and force extras.

Game two of the series is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. CT Friday and will be on the SEC Network.

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Auburn softball sweeps Saturday twin bill to clinch series over Missouri

Auburn earns their first SEC series win of the season behind a dominant day in the circle.

A pending weather forecast caused No. 21 Auburn to move Sunday’s middle game of the series with Missouri to a doubleheader on Saturday.

Despite the shift, Auburn adjusted well enough to earn a doubleheader sweep, which clinched their first SEC series win. Behind a record-setting game one from [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag], and a solid defensive effort in game two, Auburn defeated Missouri, 4-0 and 2-1 respectively to capture the series.

“We had unbelievable defense by both teams. It was unreal to watch,” head coach Mickey Dean said after Saturday’s wins. “Maddie (Penta) hit her spots and was able to control the lineup (in game one), and what a job that Annabelle (Widra) did coming in so early in relief (in game two). It was two fun games to watch.”

GAME ONE- AUBURN 4 MISSOURI 0

Auburn kickstarted the afternoon by shutting out Missouri, 4-0. There was not much offense in the game, as both teams combined to record just six hits, but two-run blasts by [autotag]Lindsey Garcia[/autotag] and [autotag]Aubrie Lisenby[/autotag] were enough for the home-standing Tigers to win.

The key storyline from game one was the dominant effort in the circle by junior pitcher Maddie Penta. Penta allowed zero runs and two hits while striking out 17, which matched a career-high and Auburn record for strikeouts in a single game against an SEC opponent.

“After the game, my heartbeat would not slow down. I wasn’t nervous. I just think I put so much into that game,” Penta said after game one. “Everything was working well. I was just focusing on every pitch, which can be mentally exhausting. I was just trying to do my best for my team.”

[autotag]Carlee McCondichie[/autotag] and [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag] joined Garcia and Lisenby by recording a hit in the game. Julia Crenshaw and Chantice Phillips notched the only two hits in the game for Missouri.

GAME TWO- AUBURN 2 MISSOURI 1

Both teams were able to boost their offensive output slightly in game two, but runs still came at a premium. Auburn struck first when [autotag]Jessie Blaine[/autotag] sent Peralta home on an RBI single in the 1st inning, with Missouri tying the game in the ensuing inning on a sacrifice fly by Riley Frizzell to bring the total to 1-1.

The game would remain tied until the final play of the game. With one out in the bottom of the 7th, Peralta hit a ground ball to shortstop, which had the makings for a routine double play. However, the throw from 2nd base to 1st base sailed high, which allowed [autotag]Rose Roach[/autotag] to score from 3rd to give Auburn the walk-off win.

“I was just doing my best to put the ball in play,” Peralta said of her game-winning play. “Luckily, it worked out for us. I’m trying to do my job day in and day out. I’m grateful for the team win.”

Seven batters recorded a hit in the game for Auburn, with Blaine being credited with the lone RBI. [autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag] and [autotag]Annabelle Widra[/autotag] combined to allow seven Missouri hits and one earned run, with Widra earning the win by going 5.1 innings in relief.

“I was doing whatever I could for the team,” Widra said Saturday. “Having our defense behind me helps me relax and trust my pitches. I know if I miss my spot, they are going to pick me up.”

RELATED: How to watch the Auburn-Missouri series

Auburn improves their record to 24-9 and is now over .500 in SEC play at 3-2. Due to forecasted rain in the Auburn area on Sunday, Auburn and Missouri will take a break in their series. Game three will be played at its’ regularly scheduled time on Monday at 6 p.m. CT. The game can be seen live on SEC Network.

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