OlderWhiskey

McCrary got her second hit, but Tresvik flied out, and Widra hit into a double play. Now in bot 5, Packer on 3d with a triple, but two outs. Now McCondichie with a clutch single, and it's 2-0 Auburn. Ellis pops out, and we go to the 6th, 2-0 Auburn.

As expected, this wicket is proving a bit stickier than most previous. 1-0 Auburn going to bottom 4, on the strength of a solo homer by KK McCrary in the second. She will be leading off the 4th for us. Penta has 7 Ks, and Jenna Hardy has 4 Ks for USA. Penta has given up one hit, and we have only two.

Dees singled up the middle for her 3d hit of the game. Roach now at short for us. Widra gets a groundout, then Weber gets her third hit of the game. Can't get those two out. Runners on 2d and 3d with one out, but Widra induces a popout and a lineout to center field to end the game at 9-1. BG had 7 hits to our 5, with Dees and Weber having 6 of those. Sort of an off day the plate for us, but BG wasn't very disciplined and helped us out a lot.

Auburn plates three in bottom 3 to lead 5-1. Peralta singled, McCondichie reached on a passed ball on 3d strike. Several mistakes by BG and a double by Garcia led to 3 runs. Garcia thrown out at home, trying to score when a ball was thrown into right field. Defensive changes: Bryant to 3d and Cox to RF. In top 4 Widra gets a strikeout and a popup before yielding her first walk on a 3-2 count. Needs to get Reid so the top of the order doesn't come up with runners on. OK, Reid struck out. Bryant reaches on an error, bringing up Lisenby, then Peralta. Yes ma'am! Lisenby doubles, then Peralta walks. Bases juiced with McCondichie, Blaine and Ellis due. Apparently Blaine moved to DP. A fielding error and a bases-loaded groundout bring in two runs. Now Ellis scores two somehow on a flyout and it's 9-1. Now Cox strikes out to end the inning at 9-1 Auburn. Each team has 5 hits, but we can run-rule if we hold them scoreless in top 5. They have 5 errors.

Auburn leads 2-0 after two. Each team has two hits. Peralta walked and manufactured a run alone, followed by a solo homer by Ellis. (6 now, I think.) McCrary doubled in the second and stole third, but got no help. Blaine playing third, McCrary left. Battery is Widra/Lisenby. Top third: Widra gets an out, then three consecutive hits from the top of BG's lineup, scoring a run. Runners on 2d and 3d, one out. Annabelle gets a K and a popup to finish the top. She has 6 SOs but has given up 5 hits. Top of the order due up for Auburn.

No, UCLA beat ULL 4-3. They are 17-1.

I pretty much agree with your assessment. Note also that Troy has a win over Kennesaw State, who just recently beat Alabama. (1/3) The Pittsburgh loss I put on Dean. While they are probably the best team we've played, we should have beaten them, and would have with a better pitching plan. I think Dean underestimated Pitt.

Thanks for the correction. I was checking LiveStats sporadically and missed that substitution. I was also attuned to the fact that Penta had a perfect game going through 3, and probably subconsciously assumed Dean would leave her in as long as she was perfect.

Well, crap. After retiring the first 11 batters, Penta gave up a homer to Frazier. Otherwise 3 groundouts in top 4. Going to bot 4, 9-1 Auburn. D. Bryant singled, and Ellis doubled. Pinch hitters coming in. McCrary lined out to third, Engelkes hit into a force that retired Bryant at home. Lisenby with an infield single that scored Milanowski. Sydney Cox, ph for Packer, struck out. 10-1 Auburn. Top 5 could end it, unless UAB scores 2. Widra taking the circle, Elkins catching. Not sure who's in the field. Widra gives up a single to the first batter, then retires 3 in order. Final: Auburn 10, UAB 1. Auburn had 13 hits in 4 innings.

Now it's 6-0 Auburn after two. Tresvik led off with a single; that was 6 hits in the first pass through the lineup. Peralta doubled Tresvik in, but we stalled after that. McCondichie and Blaine got on with an error and a FC, but Ellis popped up and Garcia grounded out, leaving runners on 2d and 3d. Now bottom 3, it's 9-0 Auburn. Godwin singled with one out, then a triple from Packer and a homer from Tresvik (team leader) scored 3. UAB changing pitchers to Russell. Flyout by Peralta and lineout to short by McCondichie. Going to top 4, 9-0 Auburn.

Auburn leads 5-0 after one inning. Singles by Peralta, McCondichie and Blaine scored 2; then a 2-run homer from Ellis, later a solo blast from Widra. Kirby started in the circle for UAB, but Cespedes replaced her after the first two singles. Penta pitching, retired side in order in T2, AU coming to bat with Tresvik. She was at bat when Packer was thrown out stealing to end the first.

A.J. Daughtry (current UAB coach) must then be the Wallace State coach who beat us in the fall of 2021? Or was that last fall when we played on the road? Kolaitis is the hitting coach at Ariz. St, who won the PAC-12 last year.

Wednesday's opponent has a 7-4 record with losses to Central Arkansas (2), Belmont, and McNeese St. Team batting average is .269, with 6 homers in 11 games. Olivia Valbak (who also pitches) is at .389, with Lauren Brock at .361 and Sierra Frazier at .310. Valbak has thrown 13 innings, and has an ERA of 3.46. She's given up only one walk in those 13 innings. Their most-used pitcher is Sarah Cespedes with 26 innings, and she also has an ERA of 3.46. Caitlin Russell has an ERA of 1.00 over 13 innings, and the 4th pitcher is Leigha Kirby at 3.71. We'll be the best team they've seen, by a good margin. #13 on their roster is Cassady Greenwood, who transferred from Louisville after her sister Carmyn graduated. She's appeared in 5 games.

Agree with your comment about Blaine's "homer". I finally got to watch the replay tonight. I had somehow thought that Penta gave up 4 hits in the first inning. Found out it was only two, but even that is a breakdown for Penta. The game started badly when the first batter hit a pop fly down the line in left that Cox couldn't quite get to. A little quicker outfielder would have caught it. Then the same batter hit a slow roller down to Ellis, who let it go between her legs. That batter scored AP's only run. They did have some threats, though. Widra gave up a leadoff single in top 5. Next batter hit into a 6-4-3 double play. Peralta made several nice plays at the 6 hole; her fielding looks better than last year, and I hope that continues. In top 7, AP had two on and one out, but solid fielding saved us. The last batter and their best player, the 3d baseman, hit a long shot to the track in center field. Packer gathered it in with no trouble, but another 10 feet would have made it a 5-4 game. Oklahoma lost to Baylor today, and I've realized that both Sam and my comments should have been in the Austin Peay thread.

Apparently the situation with Penta batting came up because the pitcher position had been in the batting order. It seems that Dean could have avoided that by changing the lineup to put in a DP when he replaced Widra with Penta. I know that pitchers can leave the game and come back in, because it's been done against us, notably by UT. Would welcome a comment from someone who understands lineup changes better than I.

Good talk. We have an abundance of talent. Blaine came through big-time today, Ellis and Tresvik with the other RBIs. Widra saved the game for Penta, who apparently had an off day. Garcia had the slammer yesterday, struck out twice today. I'm not sure what my point is, except maybe that we have enough that somebody will be able to come through when others are off.

Neither team did anything in the 6th. Packer in CF for us as the 7th starts, Tresvik moves to left. Widra still pitching. AP gets a single, then a force at second. One out, runner on first. Oops! Single by Hodum, and Weinzappel coming up. She has 2 of AP's hits today. But this time, she lines out to Peralta. One more out needed, runner on first and second. Now Osowski flies out, and the game is over. 5-1 Auburn. Austin Peay scrappier than I expected today. Each team with 8 hits. Austin Peay committed no errors to help us out. The big difference was the IP homer by Blaine, when the ball hit the RF in the head/shoulder.

We had two on and one out in bot 5, but Widra and Tresvik didn't produce. On to top 6, still 5-1.

Widra came in to relieve Penta in top 5. Gave up a single, then Osowski hit into a 6-4-3 DP, and Campbell struck out. Going to bot 5 with Ellis, Blaine, Godwin due up.

According to LiveStats, Penta has pitched the whole game. Incredibly. AP got 4 hits off her in the first inning, leading to their run. At the time I checked, Maddie had thrown 64 pitches, 54 strikes.

Hope AP's right fielder is OK.

Penta actually had two plate appearances. She walked in the 5th, and scored on Blaine's triple.

OK, that makes sense. The ump went to the VU coach after the play, so that fits. Thanks for the rule update. I also like it better.

Thanks for the updates. I was confused by the play with McCondichie at bat with Peralta on 2d. She bunted a 2-footer, beat it out (I think) and Peralta took third. Then the umps called Carlee back to the plate, and sent Peralta back to second. Video showed that Carlee stepped on the line of the batter's box. So why wasn't McCondichie called out? I don't remember the count, but McCondichie popped out on the next pitch. My guess is that there were fewer than 2 strikes, the bunt was called foul, and the ump didn't see the line violation. Ironically, in the next half inning, a Villnova batter was called out for a line violation. Did anyone see and understand this?

My impression is that, given an abundance of talent, Dean is bringing injured players back slowly, to try to prevent re-injury. I'm speaking of Packer, Bryant, and Lowe. I believe Packer took the field for the last inning vs. Illinois, not sure that Bryant has seen the field. Lowe has pitched only in closer mode so far, but I'll be surprised if she stays in that mode. What we'd like is for Lowe to return to 2021 form, and have Widra as #3. Rolfe will be brought along, as she is the future. Tresvik is valuable in other ways, so she may not get as many opportunities. Of course, all this is just my opinion. A thing to consider is that we may have new players who are better than Packer and Bryant. Where would Bryant play if she started Friday? Widra, for one, is changing the shape of things. I'm loving her.