April 1, 2017
ATHENS, Ga. - Five extra-base hits, including three home runs, powered the No. 5 Auburn softball team to a 13-4 win at No. 18 Georgia Saturday night. The Tigers (30-5, 5-3 SEC) earned their second SEC series win of the season.
"It's always great to do well for my team," said junior catcher Carlee Wallace. "I'm just excited I can come out with a bang and get the momentum rolling in our direction from the very first pitch. I know that it gave Makayla confidence going out there with runs on the board."
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Wallace led the offense with three hits, including a home run and a triple, and tied for the team lead with four RBI. Kendall Veach launched two roundtrippers and touted four RBI.
Victoria Draper, Haley Fagan and Alyssa Rivera each chimed in with two hits apiece and combined for five runs scored. As a team, Auburn notched 14 hits, the highest total by the Tigers in a conference contest this season.
In the circle, Makayla Martin earned her 13th win of the season after allowing just three earned runs in a complete game with two strikeouts.
Auburn jumped out in front early in the first inning as Wallace belted her third leadoff homer of the season on the second pitch of the evening to make it 1-0.
The Bulldogs (27-9, 2-6) then took the lead in the home half after scoring two runs on a single and a fielder's choice.
The lead did not last long, however, as the Tigers put up a crooked number on four hits in the top of the second to take a 5-2 lead.
Following consecutive singles by Rivera and Whitney Jordan and a base knock from Draper, Wallace cleared the bases with a triple off the wall in right. She then worked her way around the bases and capped the scoring in the frame on a sacrifice fly by Courtney Shea.
Auburn matched its production in the fourth stanza by plating four runs to extend its lead to 9-2.
Fagan opened the stanza with a single through the right side and then moved to third after advancing two bases on one wild pitch. Later on, Rivera roped a single to left that scored Fagan.
With the bases loaded by way of a pair of walks, Jenna Abbott brought in a run with a five-pitch walk. Justus Perry broke the game wide open with a two-strike single that scored both Jordan and Rivera.
Veach smacked a solo homer in the fifth to put Auburn into double figures at 10-2.
Georgia responded with a two-run shot to extend the game, 10-4.
After a clean sixth, the Tigers laced four hits and crossed home three times, highlighted by a three-run moonshot by Veach that hit the scoreboard in left-center.
Martin kept the Bulldogs at bay in the bottom of the seventh, sending Auburn to its 30th victory of 2017.
The two teams wrap up the series Sunday morning on the SEC Network, 95.9 FM and the official Auburn app. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. CT.