KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Auburn Tigers (28-18) were unable to complete their comeback against the number four-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers (35-9), as the Vols clinched the weekend series with a 6-4 victory. A five-run second inning for Tennessee gave them a lead that, in the end, Auburn came just short of quashing. Although Auburn scored early, a five-run inning followed by dominant pitching down the stretch ended up being too much to overcome, as the Tigers fell to 4-15 in SEC play.
The Tigers began the game with Nelia Peralta crushing Sage Mardjetko's seventh pitch to the left side of the field for an early 1-0 lead. This gave Peralta her eighth of the season. Mardjetko would strike out the next two ABs, and a Taylor Pannell triple would lead to the Vols tying the game at 1-1 by the second inning.
The next inning would be the one that decided the game, as Mardjetko would strike out the next three batters, and the Vols would go on to score a flurry of points in a hurry. An Ella Dodge single would be followed by a triple from Saviya Morgan, giving a 2-1 lead. Tennessee would then get Morgan to score on a ground ball, followed by a rocket from Sophia Nugent for a three-run homer, giving the Vols a 6-1 lead that would not relinquish.
Auburn’s attempted comeback began in the 4th as a single from Anna Wohlers got Thalia Martin to home plate. In the 5th, the Tigers would get two on base before All-American Karlyn Pickens would step onto the mound for relief. However, the Tiger batting was undaunted as back-to-back RBIs from Nelia Peralta and the freshman AnnaLea Adams would cut the deficit to just 6-4.
Unfortunately, those two hits would be the Tigers’ last of the night. Tennessee would finish the night with 14 strikeouts, holding Auburn to just .269 from the batter's box.
The Tigers still showed strong defensive flashes, holding Tennessee to a .250 and forcing the Vols to leave six runners on base. That intensity on defense will hopefully continue for the Tigers, as they will need to rely on their discipline on both sides to avoid the sweep.
The final game of the series will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday in Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. You can catch the first pitch on WEGL 91.1 FM or The Auburn Sports Network.
