Big inning carries No. 21 Tigers to comeback over Austin Peay

Big inning carries No. 21 Tigers to comeback over Austin PeayBig inning carries No. 21 Tigers to comeback over Austin Peay
Grayson Belanger/AU Athletics

AUBURN, Ala. – Trailing by a run in the bottom of the third, No. 21 Auburn softball (9-1) plated five runs to propel the Tigers to a 5-1 victory over Austin Peay Sunday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field.
 
"It was a big inning for us," said head coach Mickey Dean. "It is kind of a hard game to talk about because it was a weird game. We battled and made some adjustments. They kept us off balance at the plate. Icess (Tresvik) got things started and relieved everyone. We needed a hard-fought game, and that's what we got."
 
The victory improved Auburn's win streak to seven in a row as the Tigers went undefeated over their first weekend on the Plains.
 
Sophomore Icess Tresvik sparked the Tigers comeback with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, leading off the third inning with a game-tying solo home run.
 
"I was just working on my timing," Tresvik said. "I wanted to make sure I could help my team out. We were down by one. I was just trying to get a base hit."
 
A pair of singles from Nelia Peralta and Carlee McCondichie set the table ahead of Bri Ellis, who drove a two-out single down the line in left to push in the go-ahead run.
 
Jessie Blaine capped Auburn's five-run third inning as she cleared the bags with an inside the park home run that ricocheted with high velocity off the right field wall. The sophomore closed Sunday with a pair of hits.
 
"Well, I'm not known for my speed," Blaine said. "I got good barrel on the ball and got out of the box hard. I kept on going. I didn't know if I was going to get all the way around to home, but I sure did my best to get there."
 
Maddie Penta earned her seventh victory of her junior season. Over four innings, she scattered five this and one walk while striking out seven. A defensive miscue plagued the Tigers in the first inning of Sunday's finale. Back-to-back singles from Governors drove in the unearned run.
 
"It was a rough one," said Penta. "Offense and defense had my back. We were able to win a game where we didn't have our best stuff. I for sure didn't have my best stuff. My teammates were there to pick me up, and Annabelle (Widra) came in to help me get the job done. We all have those days, and it was just one of those today."
 
Earning her first save of the season, Annabelle Widra tossed three shutout innings to preserve the victory.
 
Auburn continues its homestand on Wednesday with a midweek tilt against UAB. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. CT. Wednesday's contest will be available on the SEC Network+.