The No. 12 Texas A&M Aggies (28-4, 8-1 SEC) dominated the No. 25 Auburn Tigers (15-9-1, 2-7 SEC) 14-6 in five innings, claiming the series 3-0 on Sunday afternoon.
Head coach Mickey Dean’s Tigers continued their rough stretch in SEC play after losing their series 2-1 against Missouri and Arkansas. Now, they lost their third consecutive series against Texas A&M.
“Our defense has been a strong point for us this season, and it let us down today,” said head coach Mickey Dean. “Texas A&M cut open with the bats. Our younger pitchers struggled a bit. The big innings for both teams were sparked by defensive miscues.”
Auburn’s defense struggled to contain Texas A&M’s offense. Facing 28 total batters, Dean’s pitching staff allowed 14 runs – 13 earned runs – and 11 hits with two strikeouts and four walks.
Starting for the Tigers, Maddie Penta pitched 2.2 innings and allowed five runs and four hits with one strikeout and two walks. Annabelle Widra relieved Penta in the third, pitching 0.1 innings and allowing one run and one hit.
Earning the loss, Emmah Rolfe pitched the fourth inning, allowing five runs and three hits with one strikeout and two walks. Malayna Tamborra finished for Auburn, pitching 0.1 innings and allowing three runs and three hits.
Comparatively, the Aggies collected seven strikeouts, three walks and one hit-by-pitch alongside six runs and seven hits – facing 25 total batters.
Brooke Vestal started in the pitching circle for A&M, pitching one inning, and allowed five runs and three hits – adding three walks and two strikeouts to the stat sheet.
Emily Leavitt (6-0) pitched the final four innings, earning her sixth win. Leavitt allowed only one run and four hits with five strikeouts.
Although the Tigers led 6-1 till the top of the third, the Aggies’ offense came out swinging in the third and carried it through the fifth.
The Aggies got on the scoreboard first with shortstop Koko Wooley coming home, thanks to first baseman Amari Harper’s sacrifice fly to left field.
But the Tigers had an electric second inning by scoring six runs. Widra singled up the middle with bases loaded, so first baseman Amelia Lech could score Auburn’s first run.
With bases still loaded, Abbey Smith stepped up to bat and walked on a 3-1 count, sending shortstop Nelia Peralta home to give Auburn a 2-1 lead. Then, on her first pitch, second baseman Mariah Penta hit a grand slam, homering her ball over the left-field wall to make it 6-1.
Texas A&M’s offense rallied together in the third to tie the game, scoring five runs. Center fielder Jazmine Hill started the offensive surge with a double that allowed third baseman Kennedy Powell to score; then, designated player Trinity Cannon and right fielder Allie Enright each hit a two-run home run.
Carrying their offensive surge to the fourth, the Aggies added seven runs to the stat sheet.
Enright struck again – this time with a double up the middle, adding two RBIs to the board. Ending the Aggies’ offensive surge, second baseman Rylen Wiggins secured a two-run homer to make it a 13-6 game.
Wooley solidified the Aggies’ victory with a solo home run hammered to center field.
The Tigers return home to Jane B. Moore Field to continue SEC play to host the Tennessee Volunteers in a three-game series. The series opener will begin on Friday, March 29 at 5 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
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Caitlyn Griffin is a sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
Twitter: @caitlyngrif99
