It was homer after homer as the Auburn softball team shut out Mercer 4-0 Tuesday night. Junior infielder Kyndall White and sophomore catcher Elizabeth Eisterhold brought in two runs each with their hits, single-handedly bringing about the win for the Tigers.
"We got our job done," said coach Tina Deese. "We did what we were expected to do and that was go into this game with Mercer and win. "
Redshirt sophomore Lauren Schmalz opened on the mound for Auburn, holding the Bears to two hits in the first two innings and striking out three. Mercer returned the favor, however, as pitcher Jenni Holtz held the Tigers to two hits in the first four innings.
"Our pitching kept us in the game," White said. "We got runners on base with our small game, but I could improve with my pitch selection. I think the team could work on scoring a little bit earlier in the game. Our pitchers are having to keep us up there for a pretty good time, so we need to get on the board earlier."
Mercer's Lilli Luke doubled in the third, but Auburn brought in senior pitcher Anna Thompson as relief. Thompson struck out 11 batters and gave up a single hit, raising her record to 13-3.
In the sixth inning, redshirt senior outfielder Lindsey Harrelson bunted to get on base, after which White hit her home run to increase the Auburn lead to 2-0. Sophomore infielder Amber Harrison was walked next and stole second before Eisterhold moved to the plate and homered over the right field wall.
"It took me going through the lineup a few times before I adjusted to the pitches," Eisterhold said. "It worked out well, and I hit it hard. It was just a matter of sitting back, relaxing and waiting for the pitch to come in."
Auburn now prepares for a formidable opponent, the No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs. The Tigers will play a three-game series, including a double header Saturday.
"We know that we have a huge opponent in Georgia and we're going to have to come back and continue to play good power defense," Deese said. "We need to pitch smart. Georgia's got one heck of a lineup and are going to be hard to pitch around, so we need to make sure that we take care of the bottom of the order."
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