The No. 13 Auburn Tigers led off the last day of the Tiger Invitational with an 8-0 win over the Maryland Terrapins, and capped with a 5-0 win over Georgia State to remain undefeated in 2018.
Makayla Martin pitched the entire game, throwing her first career no-hitter. Martin dished out five strikeouts, losing the perfect game bid by walking a batter late in the top of the fourth.
In 32 innings, Martin has yet to give up a run or lose a start, improving to 6-0 on the season. The walked batter is also only her third of the season.
"I was feeling really good," Martin said. "My stuff was really working today. I was confident with every pitch that I was throwing.”
On the offensive side, the Tigers put up 10 runs on eight hits. Maryland had three errors on the day, assisting the Auburn scoring barrage.
Two fielding errors led to a Kendall Veach single to third and the junior earning an RBI, putting the Tigers up 4-0.
The Tigers (13-0) also successfully pulled off a double steal. KK Crocker was walked at the plate, and was signaled to keep going. On her rounding first and taking second, a lapse in the defense allowed Victoria Draper to steal home.
The five through eight hitters did the damage on offense, as Casey McCrackin went 1-for-2 at the plate, scoring two. Courtney Shea also went 2-for-3 with her bat, upping her season batting average to a hefty .458.
Another dominant pitching performance was on display in the second game of the day against Georgia State. Kaylee Carlson took the mound to start the game and pitched a perfect game until the top of the fifth.
The single hit of the game (and single hit of the doubleheader) broke the perfect game bid, but the efforts of Carlson and Chardonnay Harris put up a combined shutout. Carlson dished out five strikeouts, while Harris struck out three.
In the past four games, Auburn has only given up four hits, with back-to-back shutouts today.
The Tigers had seven hits for 24 plate appearances. A deep fly ball by Shea started the scoring in the third. In the next inning, a double by Morgan Podany plated McCrackin. Four of the team's five runs on the day came with two outs.
Tannon Snow went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Shea went 1-for-3 against the Panthers, but totaled two RBI in the game.
The Tigers next head west in hopes of continuing their undefeated start to the season, facing California State University Northridge on Feb. 21 before participating in the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, California over the weekend.
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