AUBURN – The No. 24 Auburn Tigers hosted the Plainsman Invite at Jane B. Moore Field this weekend and went 3-1.
The Tigers took on the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks and the UNI Lions and each team faced off twice.
Auburn opened the weekend with an 8-0 win over Southeast Missouri State in five innings.
Shelby Lowe and Annabelle Widra combined to pitch a no-hitter. Auburn scored runs in each inning except the third, and Widra hit two home runs.
"Shelby (Lowe) had a lot of strikeouts and kept them way off balance," said Auburn head coach Mickey Dean. "Annabelle (Widra) pitched perfection and then hit two home runs. There's not a whole lot not to like. It's important that we focus on those opportunities. I thought we did a nice job today. The players that we put into the game took advantage of what was in front of them."
On Saturday, Auburn fell 4-2 to UNI. The Lions used a three-run inning in the top of the third to secure the win. Maddie Penta pitched the complete game for Auburn and struck out 10 batters while allowing only two hits.
Auburn responded with a 13-5 win over Southeast Missouri State in five innings. The Tigers scored eight runs in the bottom of the third inning.
"We came out flat in game one," Dean said. "You can't expect to win a ball game when you come out flat right out of the gate. We got some good pitches to hit in the second contest. We were able to hit with runners in scoring position. We had a few home runs, and those always help."
Auburn closed out the weekend with a 1-0 win over UNI. Penta pitched another complete game and struck out 11 batters while allowing no hits. A sacrifice bunt by Nelia Peralta in the bottom of the second inning allowed Makayla Packer to score for the only run of the game.
"Through the beginning of this season, I've had to work my way into my in-game mechanics," Penta said. "Yesterday's performance wasn't my best. I went to the bullpen and messed around with some things. I came out here and used my legs a lot better. It made my rise better and my change-up more deceptive. Perfecting my mechanics helps me throw all my pitches better."
Auburn is now 7-2-1 on the season.
The Tigers return to action on Wednesday night to take on the UAB Blazers on the road at 5 p.m. CT.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email daniel.locke@1819news.com.
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