One day after breaking the school record for margin of victory in an SEC game in a 21-0 win over Arkansas, Auburn somehow found a way to top that performance. The No. 2 Tigers crushed the Razorbacks, 23-0 in five innings, on Saturday, setting a new school record for largest SEC win. Auburn (40-4, 11-3 SEC) has won 15 consecutive games, tying a school record.
Jade Rhodes was the star of the game for the Tigers. She went 5 for 5 at the plate to break the school record for hits in a game, launching two home runs and hitting three singles. Her hits scored six runs for Auburn, and she contributed four runs of her own.
In the first inning, RBI singles by Rhodes and Madi Gipson put Auburn in front 3-0. That was a tame scoring output compared to the second inning's, however, as the Tigers scored eight runs, all with two outs on board. Rhodes' RBI single scored Kasey Cooper before Gipson's three-run homer made it 7-0. Gipson had the best game of her career so far, going 3 for 4 with four RBIs, both career-highs.
Courtney Shea continued the scoring barrage with her eighth homer of the season. An RBI single by Tiffany Howard extended the lead once again before the scoring blitz concluded with a two-RBI single by Cooper. Cooper went 3 for 3 on the day, including 2 for 2 in an inning that saw Auburn's lead increase to 11-0.
A solo homer by Rhodes was Auburn's lone run of the third before a 10-run fourth inning turned a blowout into a laugher. After four innings, the Tigers were up 22-0. One more run scored in the top of the fifth before Auburn clinched its 18th run-rule victory and 18th shutout of the season.
Freshman Makayla Martin (10-0) got the start for Auburn, striking out three Razorbacks and allowing just two hits in four innings. Senior Lexi Davis finished the game with a perfect fifth inning.
The Tigers have outscored the Razorbacks (17-27, 1-13 SEC) 44-0 in 10 innings of play this weekend.
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