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    Auburn Softball Beats Charlotte, Falls to UMass at NFCA Leadoff Classic Tigers play Syracise at 11:30 a.m. CT Sunday in final game



    March 1, 2008

    Columbus, Ga. - The Auburn softball team moved to 14-3 on the season, defeating Charlotte 4-0 and losing to Massachusetts 6-3 on the second day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic Saturday. Auburn will close out the tournament with an 11:30 a.m. CT game Sunday against the Syracuse Orange. Against Charlotte, freshman Lauren Schmalz improved to 2-0 with a complete-game shutout of the 49ers in the first game of the day Saturday. Schmalz threw 7.0 innings allowing four hits and striking out five. Gina Allen took the loss to fall to 2-1 after giving up three runs, all earned, on one hit in 2.1 innings. The 49ers fell to 7-8 after the loss. The Tigers pushed across three runs in the top of the third without benefit of a hit. Taryn Gray walked and moved to second on a ground out by Myesha Finney. Katie Colton was then hit by a pitch and Tatiana Fernandez walked to load the bases. Jorja Bell picked up an RBI the hard way when she was hit by a pitch to force Gray home. Kyndall White was up next and she too drove in run with an HBP, this time pushing Colton across the plate for a 2-0 lead. After a fly out by Alicia Hunolt, Starr Dorsey forced home the third run of the inning when she was hit by a pitch, forcing Fernandez home. Auburn added to its lead in the fourth. Gray singled to begin the inning and, after moving to third on a throwing error by the catcher, scored on Fernandez's single to left for a 4-0 Auburn advantage. Schmalz kept the 49ers in check, with only two runners reaching base after the fourth inning. In 21.0 innings this season Schmalz as yet to allow a run to score. In game two, UMass pitcher Bailey Sanders (2-4) held the Tigers to two runs, both earned, on three hits as the Minutewomen picked up a 6-3 over the Tigers. The Minutewomen jumped on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning. Whitney Mollica singled with two outs and came around to score on a triple to the wall in right by Lauren Proctor for a 1-0 UMass lead. UMass added to its lead in the third. With the bases loaded and no outs, Samantha Salato hit a deep fly ball to center that Myesha Finney made a leaping grab into the breakaway fence to get for the first out. Williams tagged from third on the play to score. The Tigers cut into the deficit in the bottom of the third. Starr Dorsey was hit by a pitch and came around to score on Taryn Gray's double to center. Massachusetts broke the game open in the fourth when four runs crossed the plate. UMass had two hits and took advantage of three walks and two hit batters to take a 6-1 lead. Auburn made it a 6-2 game in the sixth when Tatiana Fernandez's ground out to second scored Gray from third. Gray singled and moved to second on a single by Finney. A sac bunt by Katie Colton put the runners at second and third, setting up Fernandez's RBI ground out. The Tigers scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, with Starr Dorsey scoring on a single to left by Gray. But the Tigers were unable to mount a rally as the UMass held on for the 6-3 victory. Anna Thompson (7-2) took the loss for Auburn after giving up six runs, all earned, on five hits in 3.2 IP. Thompson struck out seven and walked five. Angel Bunner pitched the final 3.1 innings, striking out seven and not allowing a hit.

     

     

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