Auburn was given unexpected news early Saturday morning: it would be playing a doubleheader. Due to expected bad weather on Sunday, the Tigers took on Missouri in the afternoon and again in the evening. Auburn defeated Missouri 4-0 in game one. This snapped Auburn's four-game losing streak. Auburn then walked off game two in a 2-1 thriller.
“We had some big pinch hits in both games,” said head coach Mickey Dean. “We had unbelievable defense by both teams. It was unreal to watch. Maddie (Penta) hit her spots and was able to control the lineup, and what a job that Annabelle (Widra) did coming in so early in relief. It was two fun games to watch.”
Game one
Auburn got its first win over Missouri in nearly two years to start the day. Things got off to a fast start for Auburn. Lindsey Garcia sent a moon shot near the scoreboard for her sixth home run of the season, giving Auburn a 2-0 lead at the end of the first inning.
From then on, it was a pitching masterclass by Penta. She pitched a complete game and allowed just two hits on the day. It was a nice bounce back for Penta as she had dropped her last four starts.
Auburn added some extra insurance in the bottom of the fifth inning. Aubrie Lisenby came in as a pinch hitter and sent a wall scraper over the left-field fence to give Auburn a 4-0 lead.
Penta was able to close it out and was awarded the win and a complete game shutout. She recorded 17 strikeouts, a program record for strikeouts in an SEC game.
“It was pretty insane,” Penta said. “After the game, my heartbeat would not slow down. I wasn’t nervous. I just think I put so much into that game. Everything was working well. I was just focusing on every pitch, which can be mentally exhausting. I was just trying to do my best for my team.”
Auburn's record climbed to 23-9 on the season, while Missouri fell to 20-12. The Tigers could not pat themselves on the back for long, as Missouri had a chance at revenge just hours later.
Game two
Auburn once again got out to a lead in the first inning. Jessie Blaine hit an RBI single to give Auburn a 1-0 lead. Missouri was able to answer the following inning to make it 1-1. From then on, it would be a stalemate between the two Tiger teams.
After taking over for Shelby Lowe in the second inning, Widra shut down Missouri's offense for the remainder of the game.
“I was stressing my pitches, stressing my defense,” Widra said. “I was doing whatever I could for the team. Having our defense behind me helps me relax and trust my pitches. I know if I miss my spot, they are going to pick me up.”
The slugfest continued, but things came to an end in the bottom of the seventh. After a called out at second was overturned, it left Auburn with two runners on with one out. Nelia Peralta came to the plate and dribbled one to the shortstop. The fielder threw it cleanly to the second baseman and as she went for the double play, she sailed the ball over the first baseman's head. This brought Rose Roach, the pinch runner, sliding in for a bang-bang play at the plate.
The plate umpire called her safe, sending the Auburn crowd into a roar, as the Auburn players ran onto the field to celebrate. The umpires reviewed, and deemed the ruling stood, and sent the Auburn faithful home happy.
“I was just doing my best to put the ball in play,” Peralta said. “Luckily, it worked out for us. I’m trying to do my job day in and day out. I’m grateful for the team win.”
Auburn extended its record to 24-9 and clinched its first SEC series victory of the season. Missouri fell to 20-13. The teams will play one final time on Monday. The game will be at 6 p.m. CST at Jane B. Moore Field on the SEC Network.
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TP is a senior from Montgomery, Alabama, majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
Twitter: @tp_hammock
