Softball Falls Twice at Auburn

Wednesday, March 19

Auburn, Ala.

3 p.m.

Murray State

11-11

Auburn

25-4-1

Murray St.

Auburn

3/19/2014 8:44:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

| Game 1 Box Score (PDF) | Game 2 Box Score (PDF) | Season Stats (PDF) |

The Murray State softball team dropped a pair of games Thursday at No. 21 Auburn, 10-0 and 11-7.

Game 1 – No. 21 Auburn (25-4-1) 10, Murray St. 0 (11-11) (5 Inn.)

The Racers began game one with a double from Shelbey Miller and a pair of walks by Mo Ramsey and Alexa Becker. However, that would be as close to scoring as the Racers would get in the contest, as they were shutout by Auburn, 10-0, in five innings.

The Tigers scored four runs in the first, three in the second, one in the third and two in the fourth. Auburn notched nine hits and capitalized on two Murray State errors in the game, while the Racers finished the game with five hits of their own.

Four other Racers appeared in the hit column game along with Miller, as Ramsey, Maggie Glass, Mallory Young recorded singles, while Casey Castile notched a double. Morgan Estell led Auburn in the opener by going 3-for-3 with two runs, three RBIs, a double and a home run.

For MSU in the circle, Mason Robinson (4-4) took the loss after allowing six earned runs on seven hits over 1.2 innings. J.J. Francis closed the game out and gave up two earned runs on two hits with two strikeouts over the final 2.1 frames. Lexi Davis improved to 12-4 on the season with the win for Auburn, as she allowed no runs on three hits over four inning of work.

Game 2 – No. 21 Auburn (26-4-1) 11, Murray St. 7 (11-12)

The Racers were first on the board in the nightcap as Jessica Twaddle doubled to score Alexa Becker and give MSU the early 1-0 lead in the first. Murray State made it 2-0 in the second when Casey Castile blasted her second home run of the season over the wall in left center.

The hits kept coming for Murray State in the top of the fourth when Maggie Glass hit the foul pole in left field for her fourth long ball of the season to push MSU's lead to 3-0. However, in the bottom of the frame, Auburn loaded the bases with no outs and used that to its fullest advantage. The Tigers walked in two runs before Emily Carosone sent one to the wall in right center for a double that drove in two runs and gave Auburn the 4-3 lead.

The Tigers' lead did not last long as Shelbey Miller led off the fifth with the first home run of her collegiate career to tie the game at four. After Becker was hit by a pitch in the next at bat, Twaddle brought her home with her second double of the day to help MSU retake the lead at 5-4.

Two batters later, Taylor Odom scored Twaddle, who reached third on an error after her double, with a ground out to the Auburn third baseman to increase her team's lead to 6-4. Castile followed Odom with her second home run of the game and MSU's second of the fifth to make it 7-4.

Auburn went on to cut the lead to 7-6 in the fifth when Jenna Abbot hit a two run blast to right center. In the sixth, the Tigers tied the game with an RBI double from Morgan Estell that hit the top of the right field wall and barely stayed in play. In the next at bat, Kasey Cooper got revenge for Estell and for striking out for the first time this season earlier in the game at the hands of MSU's CheyAnne Gaskey with a three-run bomb that put Auburn on top, 10-7.

The Racer would give up another run in the sixth on a wild pitch to cap Auburn's scoring at 11. Murray State was unable to score in the seventh and fell in an 11-7 heartbreaker.

Twaddle finished the day with a career-high three hits, two RBIs, two doubles and a run, while Castile was 2-for-3 with two home runs, two runs and two RBIs. In the circle, Gaskey fell to 5-7 on the year with the loss, while Lexi Davis moved to 14-4 with the relief win for Auburn.

Murray State will have less than 24 hours to recover, as it returns to action on Thursday at UAB. First pitch from the UAB Softball Complex in Birmingham is scheduled for 4 p.m.