The second ranked Auburn softball team shutout BYU 3-0 Saturday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Tigers were able to take advantage of just three hits total offensively while pitcher Makayla Martin ensured the cougars stayed off the scoreboard.
“We got a dominant performance out of Makayla Martin today,” said head coach Clint Myers. “She was outstanding. She challenged the hitters. For the most part, we played pretty good defense.” After seven innings, Martin finished with a season high 5 strikeouts against a previously impressive BYU offense. The cougars were held to a mere 5 hits with only three runners even reaching second base throughout the game.
Auburn’s offense was lead by Kasey Cooper, KK Crocker and Carlee Wallace who all recorded one hit. The team’s three scores were aided by three walks for Haley Fagan.
A fast start helped the Tigers gain momentum as Martin quickly claimed four strikeouts, retiring 9 of the first 10 batters. The offense finally capitalized on the opportunity in the fourth inning with Crocker’s single that sent a runner home to give Auburn a 1-0 lead. Then Wallace stepped up with a perfect hit over second base, bringing in two more runners. Martin easily did the rest to shut down the cougars and give the Tigers their third victory of the season.
“We’re moving in the right direction. We talked after the game about skill development and mental preparation and execution. I thought we learned a lot from this tournament. We got quite a few kids in. We still have more kids who want to play, so we’ll have practice on Tuesday and we’ve got to get after it.”
Auburn returns to action on its home turf Thursday at 6 p.m. CT in the official home opener against SIUE. The Tigers look to start off strong with 21 straight home games scheduled at Jane B. Moore Field.
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