Tigers Go 4-1 in Busy Softball Weekend

Auburn softball hosted UAB, Furman, Drake and Texas Tech in this past weekend’s Plainsman Invitational, a fan favorite event. Fans were able to get a two-for-one on Saturday and Sunday, as one ticket would be good for both games. The schedule was moved around slightly as weather postponed Auburn’s second game on Friday with Furman, but not before Auburn run-ruled UAB in the first game of the weekend.

Home-runs have been the single biggest concern of the last two Auburn teams regardless of whether it was under now-departed Clint Myers or second year coach Mickey Dean. However, Auburn has crushed the long ball in this short season and is one of the leaders in the nation in that category with three players in the NCAA’s Top 20. Casey McCrackin is tied for second with five dingers in just ten games. Tannon Snow and Alyssa Rivera have four apiece. That puts the Auburn Tigers fifth in the nation with 18 total long balls in just ten games.

Rivera jumped on UAB in the first inning, but not with the moon shot as she doubled home Tannon and Taylon Snow. It was one of five doubles on the day, which was a welcome sign for some softball fans that had began to wonder if the Tigers could get it done any other way than the long ball.

Auburn’s offense exploded in the fourth inning for six runs and the Tigers didn’t have to hit in the fifth. Makayla Martin was phenomenal, once again, with seven strikeouts and just one hit on the afternoon, holding the Blazers scoreless.

On Saturday, Drake put up a fantastic fight against Auburn, yet …

lost the battle 2-0. The game was scoreless into the fifth inning when Auburn picked up a run on a Taylon Snow grounder that scored pinch runner Bree Fornis. Her speed was the difference in the game when Drake’s second baseman Kennedy Franks decided to go to first with runners on first and second with one out instead of holding the speedy Fornis at third. Tannon Snow added an insurance homer in the sixth on a 1-1 count to seal the deal. Auburn had just two hits and three walks which paled in comparison to the twelve K’s that Nicole Newman piled up. Martin didn’t have quite the dominant day nevertheless she held Drake scoreless while scattering five hits. And she did have eight punch-outs on the outing.

Auburn had to turn around and play Texas Tech on a very short break and the Tigers dropped their third game of the season with a 4-5 score to the Red Raiders. Kendall Veach went yard on a two run shot to put Auburn up 2-0. The lead didn’t last an inning as a solo shot from Zoe Jones and a Jessia Hartwell double plated two more for the Red Raiders. Hartwell would drive in the deciding run later in the fifth.

A wild pitch scored Taylon Snow to tie the game, but Trenity Edwards quickly answered with another solo shot. Another throwing error allowed Carmyn Greenwood to score the Tiger’s final game, though Auburn had a chance to win it. With Morgan Podany representing the tying run on third and two of Auburn’s best hitters in Taylon Snow and Casey McCrackin due up Podany was unable to score when Snow struck out and McCrackin hit a grounder to second to end the game. Auburn’s bats weren’t bad against Tech with seven hits, four walks, and only four Ks. They just couldn’t string them together for runs.

Ashley Swindle was unable to do anything against the Red Raiders. She had no strikeouts and two walks and took the loss in her four inning appearance, giving up four hits and surrendering four runs. Ashley now owns two of Auburn’s three losses, though Chardonnay Harris did give up a run in relief before Martin came in to shut down Tech. Swindle has yet to pitch for more than inning without giving up at least three runs in an outing.

Auburn had an offensive explosion on Sunday against UAB and Furman for a second time. There were no ill-effects from the short turn-around as the Tigers began play at 11AM and started their second game of the day at 2:30. Auburn outscored the duo of teams 26-4. Surprisingly, it took three innings for the Auburn bats to come alive as the first match-up was scoreless after two innings of play. McCracking and Tannon Snow had back-to-back homers to open the flood gates, as the Tigers scored eight runs in the third and never looked back, scoring seven more. Transfer pitcher Lexi Handley allowed just one run on three hits with four Ks in four innings before Swindle mopped up in the last inning.

UAB took a 2-0 lead in the first inning as the Blazers added an unearned run before former Auburn Tiger Jenna Olzewski singled home the second run. She had two hits on the day including a come-backer at Makayla Martin. The ball the Auburn pitcher before Olzewski scampered safely to first.

After a scoreless first inning for the Tigers, Martin shut down the Blazers until the fifth after the game was well out of reach. Auburn’s bats got hot in the second inning that the Tigers batted around and scored seven runs. The outburst included another Alyssa Rivera homer and scoring singles by the Snow sisters. Martin earned another win with Swindle making a short appearance in the last inning before the game ended 11-3.

The Tigers are now 7-3 and host the Tiger Invitational with Villanova, North Dakota State, Troy, and Eastern Illinois coming to Jane B Moore. Weather permitting; the Tigers will play double headers each day from this Friday to Sunday starting with Villanova Friday afternoon at 2PM. Auburn’s first four games will be on the WatchESPN App.

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