The Auburn softball team remained undefeated Saturday, winning both games in a double-header on Day Two of the Plainsman Invitational.
Though both games were played at Jane Moore Field, the Tigers were the visiting team in Game 1, a 12-0 thrashing of Morehead State that was called after five innings in cooperation with the run rule.
Auburn followed it up with a 8-2 win in Game 2 against Louisiana-Monroe.
The winning pitcher in Game 1 was sophomore Marcy Harper, who pitched three innings without allowing a single hit with four walks.
Senior Hilary Mavromat came in to relieve Harper in the fourth, and allowed only one hit in two innings of work while striking out three.
"I thought Marcy threw well," said first-year head coach Clint Myers. "And Hilary definitely came in and did her job."
At the plate, Auburn recorded 12 runs on 11 hits in 26 total at-bats, including a 3-run home run from Southeastern Conference Preseason All-Conference Team selection Morgan Estell in the first inning to give the tigers an early 4-0 lead that would never be challenged.
Estell finished game with two hits on two at-bats, with three runs.
Early on in game two, it was a different story for Auburn.
After not surrendering a hit until the fourth inning in game one, it only took one batter to record the first hit for Louisiana Monroe.
Starting pitcher Lexi Davis retired the next three batters and got out of the inning without surrendering a run.
The tigers were able to take the lead in the first inning once again, this time by manufacturing a run by way of a hit-by-pitch, a fielder's choice, and finally a single by freshman Kasey Cooper that sent Estell home.
ULM tied it at one in the top of the second, only to see Auburn put up two more runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Both teams went scoreless in the third, but Auburn blew the game open in the bottom of the fourth.
Kelsey Bogaards and Tiffany Howard scored runs on two separate passed balls to start the inning.
Then, junior Branndi Melero put the game out of reach.
With two tigers on base, Melero hit what would have likely been a single to center field, but was able to advance to second when ULM centerfielder Mackenzie Miller overran the ball.
Melero then moved up another 90 feet to third on a throwing error by second baseman Navarette Miyuki and was given the wave-around to try and score. Melero beat the throw and put Auburn up 8-2.
Auburn would add one more run, a solo homer by Bogaards in the fifth, and win their second game of the day 9-2.
Davis pitched a complete game for the Tigers, letting up five hits in seven innings while striking out seven and surrendering just one walk.
"We're starting to understand the concept of consistency," Myers said. "We're taking our plan and we're working hard to execute it."
In the two games combined, Auburn had 21 runs on 18 hits in 52 total at-bats.
"We had a stretch in there where we left on and the zeroes were on the board," Myers said. "But when we discipline and do things that we talk about daily some good things happen."
The two wins move Auburn to 3-0-1 overall heading into the final day of the Invitational.
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