JACKSONVILLE – A late offensive outburst by Auburn did the Jacksonville State softball team in on Wednesday in front of the largest crowd at University Field since 2016.
The 21
st-ranked Tigers led by just two runs before a seven-run sixth inning lifted them to a 10-0 win over the Gamecocks (6-4), while 2,463 fans looked on. It was the largest crowd since more than 5,000 fans saw JSU host Alabama in 2016.
Freshman
Kat Carter held an explosive Auburn offense in check for five innings and trailed 2-0 before the big inning to close it. Auburn's starter Maddie Penta limited the Gamecock bats to three hits in her six-inning complete game in the circle.
JSU scattered three singles in the loss, with
Lindsey Richardson,
Camryn McLemore and
Sidney Wagnon each recording hits. The Tigers recorded 13 hits, with the biggest of those coming in the form of Jessie Blaine's solo homer in the fourth. Aubrie Lisenby had a two-run double in the sixth.
Carter (3-2) suffered the loss after allowing nine runs on 12 hits in her five innings of work. She struck out two before making way for fellow freshman
Sarah Currie, who gave up a run on a hit in one inning in the circle.
Penta (5-0) struck out seven and didn't issue a walk in the win for the Tigers and remained perfect on the season.
The Gamecocks will travel to Atlanta this weekend, when they will compete in the I-75 Tournament. They will face Georgia State in Decatur, Ga., in a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT before closing the weekend with a twinbill at Georgia Tech at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday.
