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A spirit that is not afraid

Auburn completes sweep of Missouri with walk-off win

Auburn first baseman Bri Ellis (77) high fives pitcher Nelia Peralta during a game against North Dakota State on Jane B Moore field on Feb. 25, 2023.
Auburn first baseman Bri Ellis (77) high fives pitcher Nelia Peralta during a game against North Dakota State on Jane B Moore field on Feb. 25, 2023.

Auburn softball defeated Missouri 2-1 Monday night in a pitcher's duel, ending with a walk-off hit as Auburn completed the SEC series sweep. 

After a walk from Aubre Linsenby and a single from Bri Ellis, Denver Bryant stepped up to the plate with the game on the line in the bottom of the seventh inning. 

Bryant singled down the right field line, which brought in the game-winning run as Auburn picked up another walk-off win over Missouri, having previously done so Saturday. 

“It feels good to know that I helped my team tonight,” Bryant said. “I struggled a little bit in the beginning, but I was able to come back and get a good hit.” 

Missouri was limited to one hit and one run from a solo home run from Payton Jackson in the third inning due to the efforts of Maddie Penta, who had 112 pitches in the ball game. 

“Tonight, I was really just focused on getting the series win. I knew that they had seen me plenty of times on Saturday,” Penta said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be as easy, but still making my pitches move, they were definitely a little bit more patient. They took a few more walks than they did the other day. So I had to work a little bit harder, but just trusting myself, trusting my defense, we got it done.” 

Penta struck out 17 batters in her last start against Missouri on Saturday and continued to show dominance on the mound Monday night. She finished the night with seven innings pitched, one hit, one run, four walks and eight strikeouts. 

Despite the low-scoring affair, Auburn jumped out to a fast start as Nelia Peralta and Lindsey Garcia each notched singles within the first five pitches of the game. 

The early base runners ended Cierra Harrison’s day for Missouri, pulled from the game after five pitches, prompting Laurin Krings to take the mound. 

Although Auburn scored one of the runners off a Jessie Blaine sacrifice fly, Krings remained on the mound for the rest of the game and limited Auburn to five hits over 6.1 innings. 

Krings allowed five hits, one run, two walks and recorded seven strikeouts on 77 pitches. 

Auburn picked up its third win in a row after struggling in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Classic. 

“We tried to take it one game at a time, and tonight provided an opportunity for us. One that you don’t see a great deal in the SEC,” said head coach Mickey Dean. “I know people think it happens a lot, but it doesn’t, and to be able to sweep at home is important. It gives our kids confidence, and it was a great crowd here tonight.” 

Auburn capped off a low-scoring series in which it scored eight runs and allowed two runs to pick up its third SEC win and first SEC series win, improving to 25-9 on the season and 4-2 in the SEC. 

The Tigers travel to Birmingham, Alabama, to play at Samford on Wednesday as they prepare for a home weekend series against Ole Miss. The first pitch against the Bulldogs will be at 6 p.m. CST. 

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Craig Noyes | Sports Writer

Craig Noyes is a junior from Kensington, Maryland, majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in January 2023.

Twitter: @craignoyes58


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