3/13/23 Baseball Articles

[aubiefifty 16,791]

 

[aubiefifty 16,791]

Heartbreak in Athens: A big one gets away from Auburn softball team

Phillip Marshall

~4 minutes

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  Maddie Penta suffered her first loss of the season Saturday. (Photo: Auburn University)

No losses hurt worse than when a team believes it has victory in its grasp and lets it get away. And that is what happened to Auburn at the end of a long day Saturday at Jack Turner Stadium in Athens, Ga.

With the series tied at a game apiece after Auburn won 6-5 Friday and lost 5-0 in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader, the Tigers jumped all over Georgia starter Kylie Macy for four runs in the top of the first. With ace Maddie Penta in the circle, it seemed a series win was there to be had.

But Georgia, the SEC’s home run leader, had other ideas. The Bulldogs hit three out, including a two-run shot that tied the game with one out in the seventh and a walkoff in the bottom of the 10th. The Tigers, as it turned out, needed one more run. They had more hits than Georgia, but they never got that run. Penta battled for 9 2/3 innings, but she took her first loss of the season. Georgia celebrated a 5-4 victory and won the series between ranked teams two games to win.

“It was two great teams going at it, and somebody had to win,” Auburn Mickey Dean said.

But Dean was not happy with the way the final game unfolded.

“We didn’t finish some innings out on defense and in the circle,” Dean said. “I think they scored four of their five runs with two outs. We had two hits from the second inning until the fifth. When you jump on a team 4-0, you have a chance to build on that. We didn’t do any building. But it is lessons learned and things we can get better at.

Auburn wasted no time getting to Macy. Nelia Peralta led off with a single and scored on a throwing error by the catcher. KK McCrary had a run-scoring single. Carlee McCondichie drove in two more with a ringing double but was thrown out at third to end the inning.

Georgia got a run in the bottom of the first and turned to Shelby Walters, Friday night’s starter. She kept the Tigers at bay until the 10th, when Madison Kerpics, who pitched a complete game shutout in Saturday’s first game, retired two batters and got her second win of the day.

Auburn led 4-2 going to the bottom of the seventh. Pinch-hitter Jaydyn Goodwin singled to right. Ally Kurland, who was thrown out at second to end Friday night’s game, hit a 1-1 pitch over the centerfield fence to tie the game at 4-4. It stayed that way until the bottom of the 10th.

In the 10th, leadoff hitter Dallis Goodnight grounded out. Sara Mosley struck out swinging. And then, on a 1-1 pitch, Jayda Kearney ended it with her eighth home run.

Bri Ellis and Makayla Packer each had three of Auburn’s 10 hits to lead the offense, but after the first inning, they went for naught.

In the first game, Kerpics dominated Auburn’s hitters from start to finish, giving up just two hits and striking out 10.

Auburn starter Shelby Lowe took the loss.

20COMMENTS

With Saturday’s losses, Auburn fell to 21-5. Georgia improved to 20-6.

Just ahead for the Tigers is probably the most challenging weekend of the season. Off from SEC play, they go to Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, where they will play Weber State and two games each against No. 24 Northwestern and No. 1 Oklahoma.

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[Mikey 16,601]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

“It was two great teams going at it, and somebody had to win,” Auburn Mickey Dean said.

I'll take "two reasonably good teams". There weren't any great teams playing on that field in Athens Saturday.

[aubiefifty 16,791]

i trust you on baseballl coach.............

1 minute ago, Mikey said:

I'll take "two reasonably good teams". There weren't any great teams playing on that field in Athens Saturday.