Second-ranked Alabama got a
pair of strong performances from pitcher Jackie Traina as the Crimson Tide
swept a doubleheader from No. 24 Auburn softball Tuesday. Alabama won game one
4-2 and took the second game 5-2.
Auburn's record dropped to 24-11 overall and 3-7 in the Southeastern
Conference. Alabama improved to 32-1 overall and 9-1 in the SEC. Auburn returns
to action this weekend with a three-game series at Ole Miss.
"You have to give Jackie Traina a lot of credit, she had two tremendous games
tonight," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "We were able to generate a little
bit of offense against her, but we could never string anything together."
In game two, Traina threw her second complete game of the day as she held
Auburn to two runs (both earned) on four hits with two walks and nine
strikeouts. Traina improved to 19-0 with the win.
Jenee Loree took the loss to fall to 8-5. Loree started and went three and
one-third innings. Loree allowed one run (earned) on three hits with two walks
and four strikeouts. Angel Bunner relieved Loree in the fourth and pitched
three and two-thirds innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits with
one walk and two strikeouts.
Both pitchers dominated early as the teams combined for just two hits, one
apiece, through the first three innings. Alabama broke the scoreless tie in the
top of the fourth, however. Kaila Hunt led off with a double to center and came
in to score on a one-out single by Danae Hays for a 1-0 Alabama lead.
With Hays at first and a run in, Bunner relieved Loree. On the first pitch
Bunner threw, Hays broke for second and was gunned down by catcher Elizabeth
Eisterhold for the second out of the inning. Bunner then hit Courtney Conley.
Keima Davis followed with a ground ball to Caitlin Schultze at third, who threw
wild to first allowing Conley to score all the way from first on the error.
Conley's run gave Alabama a 2-0 lead. Kayla Braud followed with a double to
left-center that plated Davis and pushed the Alabama lead to 3-0.
Alabama made it a 4-0 game when Hunt laced a two-out, solo home run over the
wall in right field in the top of the fifth inning. It was Hunt's 11th
home run of the season.
The Tigers rallied in the bottom of the fifth, putting the first two batters on
base. Schultze reached on an infield single and was lifted for pinch-runner
Kristyn Richards. Branndi Melero followed with a bunt single to put two with no
outs. A ground out to second from Lauren Guzman pushed the runners to third and
second.
After a strikeout for the second out of the inning, Eisterhold delivered a
two-run single up the middle that scored Richards and Melero to make it a 4-2
game.
The Crimson Tide tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Hunt
blasted her second home run of the game, a two-out, solo shot to center that
provided the final 5-2 margin of victory.
In game one, Alabama pitcher Jackie Traina held the Tigers to two runs on one
hit as the No. 2 Crimson Tide defeated No. 24 Auburn 4-2.
Traina improved to 18-0 with the win. Traina allowed two runs (one earned) on
one hit with two walks and nine strikeouts.
Lauren Schmalz took the loss in a complete-game effort to fall to 6-4. Schmalz
allowed four runs (all earned) on seven hits with three walks and five
strikeouts.
Cassie Reilly-Boccia gave Alabama a 2-0 lead with a one-out, two-run home run
in the top of the first inning. It was Reilly-Boccia's seventh home run of the
season and it came with Kayla Braud (walk) aboard.
Auburn took advantage of a pair of Alabama errors to score a run in the bottom
of the second inning. Caitlin Schultze drew a two-out walk and then took third
when second baseman Danae Hays threw wild to first on a ball put in play by
Baylee Stephens. On a 2-2 pitch to Lauren Guzman, Stephens stole second but the
throw from catcher Kendall Dawson sailed into center allowing Schultze to score
and make it a 2-1 game.
Alabama added to its lead in the top of the sixth inning when Amanda Locke
connected on a one-out, solo home run over the wall in left. It was Locke's
eighth home run of the season and it gave Alabama a 3-1 lead. Still in the
sixth, Alabama got three consecutive singles from Kaila Hunt, Hays and
pinch-hitter Ryan Iamurri, with Iamurri's liner back up the middle scoring Hunt
from second to make it a 4-1 game.
The Tigers tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh as Hilary Mavromat
crunched a two-out, solo home run over the wall in left to make it a 4-2 game.
But Traina forced Caitlin Schultze to ground out to end the game.
