March 29, 2009
AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn closes the first game with a flurry, scoring four runs each in the fifth and sixth to take a 12-4 win over South Carolina in the first game of the doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field.
The Gamecocks (13-15, 1-13 SEC) got on the board in the first when sophomore P.J. Fulmer singled home junior Adele Voigt with two outs. Voigt reached on a one-out walk and moved into scoring position on freshman Kristen Stubblefield’s sacrifice bunt.
South Carolina added two more in the second. Freshman Evan Childs started things with a one-out walk. Auburn starter Jenee Loree (10-3) got a strikeout before freshman Kandyce Redondo chopped her way on with an infield single, setting up sophomore Laura Mendes. She singled through the middle, bringing in Childs. The throw from center went toward third and hit while Redondo was sliding into the bag, and the freshman quickly got to her feet and scampered home to score.
Auburn (25-9, 5-3 SEC) responded in the bottom half of the third. Tatiana Fernandez reached on a one-out error, and pinch runner Megan Mitchell moved into scoring postion on Elizabeth Eisterhold’s walk. Taryn Gray followed with a single back to the pitcher, loading the bases for Amber Harrison. The hero last night came through again, bringing in two run with a base hit. Harrison broke for second on the next pitch trying to steal, and the pitch went in the dirt and got away from Fulmer, allowing Gray to knot up the game at 3-3 and Harrison to move to third. White got the next two Auburn batters to ground to third to escape the inning with the game still tied, 3-3.
The Tigers took a 4-3 lead in the fourth when Fernandez pushed a two-out single through the right side, scoring Myesha Finney, who walked to start the frame and moved up on a sacrifice bunt and a single by Kyndall White.
South Carolina tied it again at 4-4 in the fifth when sophomore Jill Semento grounded out to short, allowing Stubblefield to score. She reached second on an error to start the inning and moved to third on Fulmer’s sacrifice bunt.
Auburn came back in the bottom half of the fifth with four runs. After a line out, the Tigers got a walk and a stolen base from Harrison and a single from Lauren Guzman. With runners on the corners, the Gamecocks brought starter Kierstyn White back on after reliever Kelsey Goodwin (0-2) started pinch hitter Katie Colson with a strike. White got Colson to ground out to get two down in the frame. The Gamecocks intentionally walked Finney to load the bases, and Lindsey Harrelson made them pay, singling to the shortstop to bring in two runs. Kyndall White plated Finney with a single to left, and White came in to score on Fernandez’s single. The Gamecocks finally got out of the frame with a fly out to center.
The Tigers ended the game in the sixth without recording an out. Auburn loaded the bases on a Gamecock error at first and two singles. Cassie Trosclair got an RBI when she reached on the second dropped throw of the inning. The third pitch of the game hit Finney, forcing in another run. Harrelson and White both drew walks to force in runs and end the game at 12-4.
Goodwin got the loss, allowing three earned runs in 1.1 innings of work. She walked two, gave up three hits and fanned one. Loree pieked up the win, giving up four runs, two earned, on four hit and four walks. She struck out three.
Harrelson had three RBI and one hit to lead the Tigers. White, Fernandez and Harrison all had two RBI, while Fernandez was 3-for-4 at the plate.
