Auburn softball took care of business Wednesday night in a 3-0 victory over Jacksonville State for its 18th shutout of the season.
The low-scoring contest featured impressive defensive plays from both teams, with diving catches from Icess Tresvik to set the tone defensively.
“We as a team have been working really hard on our defense. That was out biggest flaw last year,” said infielder Bri Ellis. “At the beginning of this year, we were getting eaten alive by defensive mistakes. So we really honed in and worked really hard on our defense.”
The defense received ample support from the pitching staff as Auburn put three different pitchers on the mound in the contest.
“They did a good job. I think we walked one batter, and we stayed ahead,” said head coach Mickey Dean. “The whole game, we made them hit our pitchers and played really great defense behind them, and that’s what the games all about.”
The three Tigers that pitched, Maddie Penta, Shelby Lowe and Annabelle Widra, allowed only four hits, one walk and recorded six strikeouts, with no runs allowed in the seven-inning contest.
Lowe received her fifth win of the season, and Widra got her second save.
The offense maintained the lead throughout the game as Ellis provided two runs off a first-inning home run to get the offense going and provided the pitchers with an early cushion.
“I always love to score for Maddie. I know she goes out there and pitches her heart out every single time she goes up there,” Ellis said. “Recently, we have been leaving it one nothing ball games, and yes, we come across with the win, but personally, I just want to put as many runs up on the board for her and for our team. So it was really nice to get a hold of one and put some runs on the board.”
Ellis would finish the day 1-for-3 and tallied her 11th home run on the season, a team-high.
Tresvik was responsible for Auburn’s third run of the game with a home run in the fifth inning while facing a full count.
“I was looking for something I can drive and stayed patient,” Tresvik said. “Sometimes I get anxious in three-two counts and get jittery, but I just remained calm, and then she made an inside pitch to me, which is my favorite pitch to hit right now, and so I took that opportunity to hit it.”
The Tigers improved to 32-13 on the season, defeating the instate opponent as they look ahead to more SEC play.
Auburn looks to pick up back-to-back SEC series wins in its next matchup against Alabama on the road. Game one of the three-game series takes place Friday, April 21. First pitch is set for 8 p.m. CST and will be broadcasted on the SEC Network.
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Craig Noyes is a junior from Kensington, Maryland, majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in January 2023.
Twitter: @craignoyes58
