AUBURN, ALABAMA (EETV) - After taking down the 15th ranked Georgia Bulldogs twice, the Tigers fell on a bright Sunday afternoon. The Tigers got off to a slow start and never recovered. The Bulldogs used two first inning home runs to take the lead, and held onto win, avoiding the sweep.
The Tigers had won five games in a row coming into Sunday's contest, including ten of their last eleven games. Today was Senior Day on The Plains, with those seniors getting their numbers painted on the field in honor of their hard work. The two seniors on Auburn's squad are star catcher Aspyn Godwin, and the veteran of the pitching room, Samantha Yarbrough.
When the game began, Auburn had their ace on the mound, Maddie Penta. However the first inning was a tough one for the Tigers. The second batter of the afternoon was Sara Mosley. Mosley hit a ball over the fence, and it was a 2-run home run for the Bulldogs. Later in the inning, Jayda Kearney sent a ball over deep center field to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead. The next inning was similar, as both RBI's were credited to Mosley, and Kearney, as the Bulldogs extended their lead to 5-0.
The Tiger's offense had a slow start to the game. They did not record their first hit until the bottom of the 3rd inning. However, after a Lindsey Garcia double, the Tigers were able to get a run after Nelia Peralta grounded out, allowing the 3rd base runner to score.
After that there was not much offense on either side as it became more of a pitchers duel. After Penta was pulled for Shelby Lowe, It became a battle of Lowe vs Madison Kerpics, two of the best in the SEC. These two put on a great show for the fans, as neither wanted to give up anything.
The next Auburn run came from the bat of Kelsey Schmidt, who sent a ball to deep left field and allow the Tigers to get to a 3 run deficit, a very manageable margin for these group of fighting Tigers. The score was now 5-2 and momentum seemed to be swinging in the favor of Auburn. That would change at the top of the 6th as with two outs, and the Auburn fans getting louder and louder, Sara Mosley stepped up to the plate, having already been 3-3 on the day. She took a ball and sent it to the trees in right field and gave the Bulldogs a 6-2 lead, taking all the momentum away from Auburn.
The best moment of the game happened at the top and bottom of the seventh inning. When Samatha Yarbrough, in her last home game, came into close the game for Lowe and was given a loud standing ovation from the home crowd. She did perfect, three and out. Who was up to bat at the bottom of the 7th inning for the Tigers you may ask, it was senior Aspyn Godwin. When she came up to bat, for what would be her last home plate at bat at Jane B. Moore Field, she hit a ball so deep left I believe hit Samford Avenue. She was given a standing ovation by the crowd. It was something Hollywood couldn't write. The only two seniors got their spotlight in the last inning of their last home game of an incredible season.
However, at the end of the day, the Bulldogs came out on top 6-3 in a hard fought battle by the Tigers. They never quit, and fought hard till the very end. Maddie Penta's great season record falls to 23-6. As for the series, Auburn won the series 2-1. This marks the first time the Tigers defeated the Bulldogs in a series since the spring of 2017.
The Tigers record falls to 39-11, and will be taking on a great opponent in Knoxville against the Tennessee Volunteers next Saturday at 5:00 PM.
