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Auburn Defeats MSU
Auburn, Ala. – The
Auburn softball team rallied for a 2-1 victory over Mississippi State
in the final regular season game of the year on Sunday at Jane B. Moore
Field.
The win moved Auburn to 33-20
overall and 12-16 in the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State
dropped to 33-21 overall and 12-16 in the SEC. The Tigers clinched the
seventh seed in the SEC Tournament and will play at 1:30 p.m. CT
Thursday in the first round. Auburn’s opponent is yet to be determined
as other league games were not yet completed Sunday.
“I’m
proud of the way we came back and got an important win today,” Auburn
head coach Tina Deese said. “Angel (Bunner) did a great job in the
circle today and worked out of few jams when they put runners on base.
Hilary (Mavromat) got us even with a big home run and that was good to
see from her. Now we have to get focused on the SEC Tournament.”
Angel
Bunner improved to 13-4 with the complete-game victory. Bunner allowed
one run, earned, on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.
Kylie
Vry took the loss in relief to fall to 9-7. Vry allowed two runs, both
earned, on one hit with two walks and no strikeouts in three innings of
work. Stephanie Becker started and went the first two and two-thirds,
scattering three hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Mississippi
State plated the first run of the game, scoring once in the top of the
fourth. With two outs, Sam Lenahan doubled to centerfield. Heidi Shape
followed with a hard single through the left side that scored Lenahan
for a 1-0 Mississippi State lead.
The
Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when Hilary Mavromat
cranked a leadoff home run over the wall in center. It was Mavromat’s
third home run of the season and the eighth of her career.
The
Tigers rallied to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Caitlin
Jordan was hit by a pitch to open the inning and was lifted for
pinch-runner Kristyn Richards. Elizabeth Eisterhold moved Richards to
second on a sac bunt. After an infield pop-up for the second out of the
inning, a passed ball moved Richards to third base. Caitlin Schultze
drew a walk to put runners on the corners and was lifted for
pinch-runner Maris Medina.
With Baylee
Stephens at the plate, Medina broke for second and Richards broke for
home on a delayed steal. Although the tag was applied to Richards at
home for what would have been the final out of the inning, obstruction
was called on the Mississippi State catcher and Richards was ruled
safe, giving Auburn a 2-1 lead.
In the top
of the seventh, Shelby Fisher led off with an infield single up the
middle and was lifted for pinch-runner Ashley Phillip. With the tying
run on base, Bunner promptly fanned the next three hitters, all
swinging, to end the game.
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