ATLANTA – Aggressive base running and timely hits allowed Auburn softball (23-12) to score early and often as the Tigers earned a 4-1 road win over Georgia State (13-21) at Bob Heck Field on Wednesday night.
Auburn scored four runs over the first three innings to jump out to an early lead that would hold for the win. The top of the order did the damage, recording all five hits. Tyler King led Auburn as the plate with a 2-for-4 performance with a pair of runs. Makenna Dowell went reached base in three of her four plate appearances with a single, walk and hit by pitch. Sydney Cox picked up the lone RBI of the game as she went 1-for-2 at the plate with a walk.
"I thought we came out early and did a nice offensively," said head coach Mickey Dean. "We were just trying to manufacture some runs there. I thought their pitcher did a nice job. She attacked and started moving the ball."
Dowell led off the game with a five-pitch walk ahead of King, who bounced a ball back up the middle for a single. Aggressive base running by the Tigers allowed Dowell and King to pick up extra bases and put two in scoring position with no outs.
After a pop up at third for the first out of the first, Lindsey Garcia put down a bunt for the squeeze play, but the Panthers were ready with the tag on Dowell at the plate. Garcia took a big turn to head to second base and drew the defense's attention, allowing King to sneak home for the first run of the game.
Standing safely at second, Garcia swiped third base. The throw to the bag sailed into left field and allowed Garcia to trot home safely to give Auburn a 2-0 lead in the first.
Dowell and King got the offense going once again in the top of the third as the duo knocked back-to-back singles to put Tigers on the corners. With pinch runner Kaylee Horton standing at third, a passed ball allowed Horton to come home. Cox extended the Auburn lead to 4-0 with a line drive to right center for an RBI single.
Shelby Lowe was virtually untouchable in her four innings of work. She allowed just two hits both to shortstop Daisy Hess while striking out five batters to keep Georgia State scoreless. Lowe is now 11-3 in the circle
KK Dismukes tossed the final three innings en route to her fourth save of the season. Dismukes worked around four hits. The only run she gave up with a Skylar Mosel solo home run in the fifth innings. Dismukes walked one and struck out a career high six.
TIGER TRACKS
- Tyler King recorded her sixth multi-hit game of the season and the 11th of her Auburn career.
- KK Dismukes struck out a career high six en route to her fourth save of the season. She is now tied for sixth in school history for saves in a single season.
ON DECK
The Tigers return to Southeastern Conference play this weekend, hosing No. 12 Kentucky for a three-game series at Jane B. Moore Field. The series begins on Friday with a 5 p.m. CT first pitch on the SEC Network+.