State Miscues Give No. 22 Auburn Series Victory On Plains, 7-3
May 25, 2016 | Softball
Tigers Use Errors To Post Three Spots In First And Third Innings
AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn took advantage of a trio of clutch errors by visiting Mississippi State in the first and third innings to put three spots up in each frame en route to claiming a 7-3 victory over the Bulldogs that gave the No. 22-ranked Tigers the series victory Saturday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Ala.
Jennifer Waterman drove in all three Bulldog runs on a 2-for-3 showing at the plate, while fellow senior Kate Jaspers scored twice on a 2-for-4 day. Iyhia McMichael walked three times and crossed the plate once, but had her eight-game hitting streak snapped on a 0-for-1 plate performance. Ashley Griffin paced Auburn with a pair of hits on four trips to the plate, while Sara Dean and Kristina McCain both scored twice for the Tigers on a 1-for-3 hitting lines.
Mississippi State starter Kelli Miller (5-7) scattered nine hits and struck out two, but was victimized for seven unearned runs on four Bulldog errors to take the tough-luck loss for the Maroons. Auburn starter Holly Currie (8-1) threw a plethora of balls in the contest, but utilized State's impatience at the plate early on to notch the victory. The Tiger rookie finished the game with five strikeouts, but also allowed four hits and walked five batters in four and two-thirds innings of work.
Auburn led off the scoring in its half of the first, getting a pair of runners into scoring position with just one out to set the table for McCain whose routine grounder was misplayed by MSU shortstop Callye Williams, allowing both runners to score and the slow-footed McCain to reach base safely. A stolen base, coupled with a Sara Ghezzi single moments later, put McCain at third and, on the first pitch delivered to Martha Phillips, Ghezzi got caught in a rundown between first and second base which allowed McCain to trot home for the 3-0 Tiger lead heading into the second.
The Tigers would rally for three more runs in the third, this time using crucial errors from Mississippi State leftfielder Hayle Guess and first baseman Kate Jaspers to take a 6-0 advantage. In the bottom of the fourth Auburn would, again, add to their cushion on fielding mistakes by the Bulldogs, getting Tanelda McDonald's second error of the campaign with two outs that set up McCain's RBI single with the next at-bat.
The Bulldogs finally got on the board in the fifth, using a two-out walk and single by McMichael and Jaspers, respectively, to set the table for Waterman who laced a base-clearing double to the gap in left centerfield to chase Currie from the circle. The Bulldogs would strike again with two outs in the seventh on Waterman's second RBI double of the game to the same place, but could not cut into the Tiger lead
AUBURN 7, MISSISSIPPI STATE 3Mississippi State 000 020 1 - 3 6 4 Auburn 303 100 x - 7 9 0
Miller and Waterman. Currie, DiPietro (5) and Dean. W - Currie (8-1). L - Miller (5-7). Save - None. 2B - MSU, Jaspers, Waterman 2. AU, Griffin.
