Behind a two-run homer and six strikeouts on the mound, the No. 11 Auburn Tigers (35-8, 8-6 SEC) downed No. 8 Tennessee 2-0, evening the Tigers' weekend series at 1-1.
On the mound, Makayla Martin dominated the Vols’ bats for seven straight innings. Through six innings, Martin tossed a no-hitter, fanning five batters in the process.
A high-line drive broke the Vols’ batting drought, but didn’t break Martin’s focus as she continued to deal, pitching the entire game and striking out a total of six batters. The junior earned a shutout for her work.
Her sixth strikeout of the game gave the Californian 250 Ks in her three-year career.
“I felt really confident about the pitches I was throwing," Martin said. "I was excited because we really needed to win this game."
Offensively, however, the Tigers were not as crisp. For the second straight game, it took until the fourth inning for the Tigers to have a base-runner.
The team only had two hits on 19 plate appearances.
Two hits were all the Tigers needed, it turned out, on a rainy Saturday at Jane B. Moore Field. A single by Taylon Snow in the bottom of the fourth granted the Tigers their first base-runner of the afternoon.
On a full count in the next at-bat, Casey McCrackin smashed a pitch deep left center and over the wall for a two-run shot.
“That was the first one I think I’ve ever hit that I could say ‘Hey I can jog this’” McCrackin said.
The homer is McCrackin’s seventh on the year, good for first on the Auburn bats.
The Tigers will look to take the series Sunday at 2 p.m. CT in Game 3.
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