Marshall University Athletics
Auburn Shuts Out Softball
2/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Auburn Shuts Out Softball
2/11/2005
- Box Score
AUBURN, Ala. ? Despite a solid effort from starting pitcher Abigail Harter (Monmouth, Ore.), the Herd fell to Auburn, 8-0, on Friday night at Jane B. Moore Field.
Lolani Alvarez scored in the bottom of the third inning, partly in thanks to a costly Marshall error.
Auburn turned two hits into another run in the fourth after Holly Currie got on via a single and the Herd tried to catch her pinch-runner Brittany Scott stealing second while Alvarez was able to cross home again for a 2-0 lead.
Then a routine play turned disastrous for Marshall (5-2). Two throwing errors, one at third base and another in right field, resulted in a massive three runs for the Tigers. At that point, Auburn had managed five runs on merely two hits.
?We can not self-destruct like that,? head coach Shonda Stanton said. ?You can not win ball games with five errors?especially against a team the caliber of Auburn.?
A double by AU?s Ashley Griffin brought in two more runs, this time off of Amanda Luers (Dover, Ohio), in relief of Harter in the fifth, pushed the score to 7-0. A sac fly by Robin Martin to score Griffin ended the game due to the Mercy Rule.
?Abby pitched a great game tonight,? Stanton said. ?We just simply did not support her effort.?
Harter gave up two hits and struck out five in four innings of work and picks up her first loss of the year.
Jessica Williams (Powder Springs, Ga.), Rachel Folden (Baldwin Park, Calif.) and Gina Guzzo (Virginia Beach, Va.) all tallied hits for Marshall.
Beth DiPietro picked up the shutout win for Auburn.
MU will look to recover tomorrow morning in a showdown against Southern Conference foe College of Charleston. Game time is set for 10 a.m. CT.
