Behind perfection in the circle for only the third time in program history, No. 25 Auburn run-ruled Georgia State 8-0 in six innings on Thursday, Feb. 29, at Jane B. Moore Field to improve to 8-2-1 on the season.
After tossing her fifth career no-hitter on Sunday, Feb. 25, against UNI, senior righty Maddie Penta continued her recent domination on Thursday, joining Hollie Curry and Kaylee Carlson as the only Auburn pitchers to record a perfect game.
The win was Penta’s fourth of the season, bringing her record to 4-2. Penta now sits alone at second in program history in wins with 64, needing four more victories to break the program record set by Kaylee Carlson from 2016-18 (67).
Along with the perfect game, Penta recorded her fourth double-digit strikeout performance of the season, bringing her career strikeout total to 742. Squarely in third place in program history, Penta is now chasing Holly Currie’s 782 mark set in 2007 and Anna Thompson’s 1,078 landmark set in 2010.
After a quiet first three innings in which the Tigers scored one run on a sac fly, Auburn exploded for an offensive flurry in the last three innings to earn the run-rule with a walk-off single by Chalea Clemmons in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Head coach Mickey Dean emptied his bench Thursday night, with 17 Auburn players coming up to the plate and 10 reaching base safely.
Eight different Tigers scored, but the offense drew six walks and only recorded one extra base hit, a double by freshman Mariah Penta in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Penta and senior Makayla Packer led the way for the Tigers with two hits apiece. Sophomore Aubrie Lisenby recorded three RBIs, all on sacrifice flies, and sophomore Nelia Peralta followed closely behind with two.
The Tigers return to play on Friday, March 1, to host the Jane B. Moore Memorial. Auburn is set to square off against Northwestern at 5 p.m. CST, with first pitch coming on SEC Network+.
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Emily Porch is a senior from Sylacauga, Alabama. She joined The Plainsman in fall 2021.
Twitter: @emilycporch
