softball:Widra, Penta, Lowe dominate opening day

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Pitchers in charge: Widra, Penta, Lowe dominate opening day

Phillip Marshall

3–4 minutes

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  Annabelle Widra pitched a two-hit shutout in her first Auburn game. (Photo: Auburn University)

On opening day in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla., on Friday, Auburn’s pitchers stole the show as the Tigers beat St. John’s 6-0 and Fordham 9-0. Here is what they did:

* Michigan transfer Annabelle Widra gave up two hits, struck out 10 and didn’t walk a batter in going the distance to beat St. John’s.

* Junior Maddie Penta gave up three hits and struck out 11 in five innings against Fordham. After giving up an infield hit and a groundball hit to start the game, she struck out seven straight. She walked one.

* Junior Shelby Lowe, coming back from forearm problems that plagued her last season, took over in the sixth and struck out all three batters she faced.

Add it up, and in two games Auburn pitchers struck out 24, gave up five singles and walked one batter.

Widra found out Thursday night that she would start her first Auburn game in the circle, and she was ready.

“Honestly, I didn’t have any expectation,” Widra said. “I was excited to start this season with this team. It was just a fun day, a fun day of softball. It felt great. It’s a brand new beginning for me. I love this team.”

Auburn coach Mickey Dean said he knew he was going to start Penta and Lowe in the second game. He turned to Widra in the first game because of what he had seen throughout preseason practice.

“I felt she would attack hitters," Dean said. "Her experience is what I went with in the first game. I already knew I was going to throw Maddie and Shelby in the second game. She makes the ball move pretty well. She’s really been working hard.”

Auburn hitters didn’t light up the scoreboard like they wanted and expected, but they didn’t have to. Theoffensive  highlights were senior catcher Aspyn Godwin’s walkoff grand slam that run-ruled Fordham and shortstop Nelia Peralta’s leadoff home run in her first at-bat of the season.

Senior second baseman Carlee McCondichie was hot from the start. She was 3-for-4 in the opener with an RBI and a run-scored. In the second game, she was 2-for-2 with a triple, an RBI and a run-scored.

When Godwin walked to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth against St. John’s, Dean told the players in the dugout to be ready because she was going to hit it out. In her only at-bat of the second game, she drove a 2-1 pitch far over the left field fence.

“I was actually kind of emotional this morning because it was my last first-game day ever,” Godwin said. “I was really excited to play The whole team ready. I went up there with confidence, and I just hit it really far.”

The middle of the Auburn batting order – No. 3 Bri Ellis and No. 4 Jessie Blaine struggled at the plate. Neither had a hit. Dean said he was confident it was a temporary setback.

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“It just means they have better days ahead,” Dean said. “Jessie was squaring it up, She hit some balls hard, but they got caught.”

The Tigers return to field at 10 a.m. Saturday to play Pittsburgh. They play Indiana at 12:30 p.m. The Hoosiers scored 14 runs in the fifth inning Friday to run-rule Pittsburgh 17-5.

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