Auburn Softball took on Appalachian State and Chattanooga in a double header Sunday, Feb. 8, to conclude the 2015 Plainsman Invite.
Auburn defeated Appalachian State in a blow out, 9-0 and Chattanooga 12-1. Marcy Harper stayed consistent in her pitching ability brining a total of six strikeouts to the team in game one, which still did not exceed her record of 11 last year.
On offense, the Tigers ran in two in the first inning off of four hits. The second inning brought five additional runs, including help from Kasey Cooper's homerun, which brought in two runners for a total of seven. Both the third and fourth innings brought in one runner each, making the Tigers more than eight points up and eligible for a run-rule in the bottom of the fifth.
Jenna Abbot took a hit to the hand in the bottom of the fourth inning, bringing in Marcy Harper for a substitution. Abbot did not return the rest of the game. Head coach Clint Myers said she's recovering well and should be able to pitch Feb. 12. "She seems to be moving all of the appendages well, and I think that she wants to get right back in the circle." Myers said.
Abbot has recently gained attention for her unique windup. Pitching coach, Corey Myers helped to bring Abbot to a pitching technique that she would be comfortable with and use to get the job done.
"We [needed] to come up with something that would give [Abbot] an opportunity to have a little bit more success against left-handed hitters and hopefully in turn, get [her] some more playing time." Myers said.
Game two started with the Tigers brining in two runs at bat off of four hits, but the Tigers didn't gain momentum until the bottom of the fourth inning, bringing in five additional runs.
Haley Fagan knocked a grand slam out of the park to wrap up the game 12-1 in the bottom of the fifth, allowing the Tigers to call the run-rule for the sixth time in the Plainsman Invite.
"We said all along that Haley was going to be a good offensive force for us. She's a competitor." Myers said.
Myers said this weekend was a good indication of how the season will go.
"The pitching got better, the defense got better and the hitting was good, so it was a good weekend for us." Myers said.
The Tigers remain unconquered with a 6-0 record. The team faces Mercer next Thursday, Feb. 12, on their home field.
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