After splitting their outings against Washington and Oklahoma on a historic 2017 Opening Day, Auburn Softball got back in the win column with a 3-2 victory over Nebraska on Friday afternoon.
Junior Kaylee Carlson pitched all seven innings on the mound for Auburn, after the Tigers rotated between ace Makayla Martin and freshman standout Ashlee Swindle on day one. The Cornhuskers tallied nine hits and two runs on Carlson.
“Our pitchers have been the best part of the trip so far,” said Auburn head coach Clint Meyers. “I thought Kaylee Carlson pitched well. Offensively, we’ve got to do better. This is why we came, to learn what we need, spend some time to get better.”
For the third consecutive game, the Auburn bats went cold. After tallying a lone run in the loss on Thursday night to No. 13 Washington, the Tiger offense mustered only five hits against the Huskers. A critical error in the Nebraska outfield during the fourth inning was the difference.
Following Madi Gipson’s score, Kasey Cooper patiently recorded another intentional walk, a flair that seems to be suiting the superstar well in the early season. Haley Fagan smacked a ball to shortstop during the next at-bat, leading to a wayward toss from the Nebraska defense to second base. Cooper rounded home along with KK Crocker, who previously had loaded the bases before Gipson’s run. The baffling series of events gave Auburn a 3-1 lead, which proved to be enough to outlast the opponents from Lincoln.
The victory pushes the Tigers to 2-1 in Mexico, with the BYU Cougars (1-1) looming at 11 a.m. CST on Saturday. Auburn is then graced with a five-day layoff whilst they make their return to the Plains. The Tigers open home action at Jane B. Moore Field on Thursday, February 16 against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CST on SEC Network +.
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