The Auburn Tigers hosted the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers at Jane B. Moore Field this weekend and fell in two games out of three.
The Tigers lost 5-1 in game one and 8-4 in game two before picking up a 4-1 victory in game three to avoid the sweep.
Maddie Penta got the start for Auburn in game one and allowed four runs off of six hits in six innings of action. She struck five batters out while only walking three.
Auburn's one run came in the bottom of the third inning when Nelia Peralta was hit by a pitch to force in Anna Wohlers.
"Execution is what the game comes down to,” said Auburn head coach Mickey Dean. “We have the effort. I thought Maddie (Penta) really gave us a chance. Her defense was on par. We had runners on, but we didn’t get the hits. It wasn’t a lack of effort. It was a 2-1 ball game there for a long time. I think if we could have pushed across another run or two with the bases loaded, it would have gotten interesting. We will take it pitch by pitch and be back here tomorrow.”
Tennessee took an early lead in game two and never gave it up.
Shelby Lowe got the start for Auburn and allowed four runs off of four hits in 2.1 innings of work.
KK McCrary led the way at the plate for the Tigers going 3-4 with two RBI.
“We’re starting to put all three phases of the game together,” Dean said. “It’s coming. I showed the team the ‘Chop Wood, Carry Water’ sign. That’s what we are right now. We’ve got to keep chopping wood and carrying water then we’ll get to where we want to be. If we’re not willing to chop the wood and carry the water, we’re not going to get where we want to be.”
Auburn turned the tide in the series finale and picked up a win.
Penta returned to the circle and held the Volunteers to one run off of five hits in seven innings of work and struck seven batters out while walking only three.
Despite winning the game, Auburn only had four hits and did not have a player with more than one.
“Their hitters are like piranhas,” Dean said. “If they get off to a good start, it’s going to be a long game. I thought Maddie (Penta) and our defense did a nice job in those first three innings and then you threw the two runs on top. It kind of kept them in a lull. It took us seven innings, but in that last inning, we got that insurance. We had that big defensive play in right field. We work on this stuff all the time. That was key to winning the ball game.”
Auburn is now 16-11-1 on the season and 3-9 in conference play.
The Tigers host the Samford Bulldogs on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. CT. The television broadcast can be found on SEC Network+, and the Auburn Sports Network broadcast can be heard locally on WEGL 91.1 FM or streamed anywhere on the Auburn Athletics app.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email daniel.locke@1819news.com.
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