Auburn took to Jane B. Moore Field Saturday for the second day of the Plainsman Invitational, taking on Alabama State and UNC-Wilmington in a double-header. The Tigers played ASU and UNCW the day before, making quick work of the Hornets, but requiring 10 innings and an 8 run comeback to down UNCW.
The Tigers came out Saturday and dominated defensively in both games, allowing only 2 hits on the day. Auburn finished the day 7-3 after beating ASU 7-0 and UNCW 18-1.
Game 1
Auburn started the day against ASU, and pitching was excellent from the start. Junior Lexie Handley, despite starting both games the day before, pitched the first three for the Tigers. While giving up three walks, she allowed no runs on one hit.
Handley and Samantha Yarbrough combined for seven strikeouts, giving up only one hit through seven innings.
Yarbrough, however, worked herself into some trouble in the top of the sixth inning. She walked one and let another reach base on a throwing error. But with runners on the corners, she struck out her next two batters to end the inning and preserve the shutout.
The bats for Auburn were hot too, scoring four runs on three hits in the first inning. The Tigers took advantage of some miscues by Alabama State, advancing runners on passed balls and scoring on a fielding error. Auburn’s defense had no struggle, as the only error recorded was on Yarbrough’s throwing error.
Tannon Snow knocked in the first run on a sac-fly to left field. She also added a solo homerun in the third. From behind the plate, she caught two baserunners attempting to steal second.
While Auburn reached seven runs in the fourth, it failed to force its sixth straight mercy rule against ASU. While the Tigers had runners on base in both the fifth and sixth innings, baserunning errors held the Tigers scoreless after the fourth.
While the run rule streak ended, head coach Mickey Dean felt good about the win
“We’ve started to play with some confidence and rhythm,” Dean said post-game. “After those first two innings [yesterday], I think we’ve played good ball.”
Game 2
Auburn walked into game 2 attempting to improve upon their 8-7 ten inning win against UNCW the night before. Senior Ashlee Swindle, who pitched nine innings in that game, made quick work of the Seahawks early, dropping her first nine batters.
She pitched four innings and only gave up one run. Despite throwing almost 200 pitches in the past few days, she showed no signs of wear post-game.
“My arm feels fine,” Swindle said. “It did [feel sore] this morning when I woke up, but we have great trainers, so I feel great.”
Meanwhile, the Auburn offense jumped ahead quickly in the first two innings. The Tigers scored five runs off of Seahawks’ starter Rylee Pate. UNCW tried multiple pitchers, but each one failed to quiet the onslaught of hits.
Senior outfielder Alyssa Rivera hit two homeruns, including a three-run shot in the third inning. It was her career first multi-homerun game and a career high 6 RBI.
“I don’t know any other word to say but great,” Rivera said when asked about her career performance. “I just think all around it was a great game for all of us.”
The Tigers ended their day with an eight run fourth inning, driving the final score to 18-1. Due to the large lead, Coach Dean was able to play the entire roster. Sophomore Hannah Cavanaugh launched a single in her first career at-bat for the Tigers.
While the Tigers have started off slow this season, it does not seem to have hampered the team’s spirit.
“We’re in a good spot right now,” Rivera said post-game. “I think we’re great all-around. We’re excited to move forward.”
Auburn is now 4-0 in the Plainsman Invitational and will continue play on Sunday, Feb. 16 against Alabama State at 11 a.m. CST followed by a 5 p.m. matchup with UNCW at Jane B. Moore Field.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Dylan Fox, Junior in Civil Site Design Engineering, joined The Plainsman as a sports writer in Spring 2020. From Geneva, IL.
