In the second straight sold out game of the season, the Tigers took the third and final game of the Tennessee series, 12-9.
Auburn had a shaky start as the Vols brought in 6 runs in a two-out rally in the first inning.
After the fifth run, Jenna Abbott was relieved, and the coaches brought Rachel Walters to the mound. Tennessee plated one more run with Walters in until the defense stepped up to end the half-inning.
Tiffany Howard kickstarted the Auburn offense with a drill down mid field for a single, followed by Emily Carosone’s left-field grounder to get her on base and move Howard up to second.
In a chaotic running play, Kasey Cooper hit a single that sent Carosone rounding third. However, Howard was told to stay on base ahead of her.
The miscommunication resulted in both Howard and Carosone running from second, to third, to home, back to third in a chase by the Tennessee second baseman, until they caught Carosone to tag her out.
“We didn’t run it real well,” coach Clint Myers said. “We practice those rundowns all the time. We’re an aggressive team, I took the heat for that.”
Tennessee then caught two consecutive air balls to bring the Tigers back out on defense.
Walters started out the second pitching two consecutive strikeouts, and a high catch sent the Tigers back to the dugout in matter of minutes.
“I just had to refocus and channel in,” Walters said. “My adrenaline kind of kicked in … I do better under pressure.”
Although Jade Rhodes’ short hit was caught, Morgan Estell’s bunt and Abbott’s hit down left field brought in Auburn’s first run of the game.
Howard then nailed a triple and Abbott rounded home. Soon after, Emily Carosone’s single allowed Howard to plate and Kasey Cooper sailed a pitch past the fence to bring herself and Carosone in.
Tied at 6, Branndi Melero tapped it to the pitcher, who sent it to first for the third out.
The third inning was in and out for the Tigers, and soon enough they were back in the batter’s box.
Estell then drilled the second homerun of the day and helped plate two more runs to give Auburn its first game lead.
“I think that may have been the hardest one I’ve hit,” Estell said. “It’s a great feeling, [but] I do it for my teammates. I’m glad we got the lead with that one.”
Hits from both Howard and Carlee Wallace put both runners on base, but Carosone struck out before the Tigers could score again as they headed into the fourth.
Holding the Vols on defense in the top of the fourth, both teams took a scoreless fourth inning.
The Vols plated two in a long fifth inning, sending the game back into a tie at 9 points. Auburn was unable to score at bat.
A scoreless half-inning for Tennessee in the sixth gave the Tigers a chance to pull ahead, and they did so in typical Auburn fashion with a homerun from Melero, who allowed Carosone to run in.
“I’m glad I was able to put my team up,” Melero said. “We didn’t let up at all, (trailing behind) really didn’t phase us. We’re picking up where we left off from last year.”
A sacrifice single to the first baseman from Estell plated Haley Fagan not long after Fagan was hit in the thigh by a pitch.
With three runs off of three hits, the Tigers left the sixth with the lead again at 12-9.
No runs, no hits and no runners on base for Tennessee in the seventh secured the win for Auburn and gave them the weekend series.
“This is a unique ball club," Myers said. "They don’t ever give up. As long as they’ve got a breath, they’re fighting.”
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