AUBURN, Ala. – Behind a season-high four home runs, No. 17 Auburn (28-4) slugged past Alabama State, 6-3, in a midweek tilt at Jane B. Moore Field Wednesday night.
"I thought we did some of the things we needed to do to win the ballgame," said head coach Mickey Dean. "Every time they scored, we answered back. Every time we scored, we were able to keep them off the board the next inning. That's something we talk about all the time."
Four of Auburn's seven hits in Wednesday's game were homers as four different Tigers went yard in the contest. Auburn has knocked 54 home runs in 2022, the sixth most in a single season in Auburn history.
Sophomore Makayla Packer led off the game, launching the first pitch she saw down the line in left. Senior Aspyn Godwin knocked a solo homer in the bottom of the second to push the lead to 2-0.
Freshman Aubrie Lisenby followed the Godwin homer with a single up the middle. Freshman Rose Roach drove in freshman pinch runner Abbey Smith with a ground ball to short.
Alabama State (14-17) loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fifth with back-to-back singles and a hit by pitch. Auburn answered with a force out at home and a strikeout from junior KK Dismukes, but an Auburn error allowed two unearned runs, cutting Auburn's lead to 3-2.
Auburn immediately responded in the home half as junior Carlee McCondichie led off the inning with a bunt single to third base. Freshman Nelia Peralta launched a home run to right center to extend the Tiger lead to three runs. Peralta turned in Auburn's lone multi-RBI performance of the contest.
Freshman Bri Ellis was the last Tiger homer in the contest as she delivered a solo shot to deep center to cap Auburn's 6-2 performance. The home run was Ellis's team-leading 12th of the season.
Sophomore Maddie Penta and Dismukes combined for work in the circle Wednesday night as the duo retired the first 12 Hornets to the plate. In her three innings of work, Penta fanned five of the nine batters she faced and held Alabama State hitless.
Dismukes earned the win to improve to 2-0 on her junior campaign. In four innings of relief, Dismukes gave up two unearned runs off four hits. Dismukes fanned five.
UP NEXT
Auburn preps for another top-25 showdown as the Tigers welcome No. 7 Florida to Jane B. Moore Field. The series opens on Friday, April 1 at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network+.