The No. 24 Auburn softball team traveled to No. 18 Missouri for a weekend series, winning one of three games.
Auburn first took the mound Friday afternoon with Shelby Lowe as the starting pitcher. Both teams struggled to get on base until Auburn opened the scoring in the top of the fourth inning. With one out and a 2-2 count, Justus Perry hit a home run to left field off Missouri pitcher Jordan Weber. Missouri quickly answered with a home run of its own when Hatti Moore sent another ball to left field.
After seven innings with the scores still ties, the game entered extra innings. Missouri left Moore and Kimberly Wert on base in the bottom of the eight inning, giving Auburn another opportunity. In the top of the ninth inning, Auburn grounded out three batters in a row. Missouri made up for its previous shortcomings after redshirt junior Casidy Chaumont doubled to right center. Chaumont edged closer to home plate, advancing to third on a fly out. Auburn pitcher Lexie Handley allowed Chaumont to score an unearned run to win the game 2-1 on a throwing error.
Auburn looked to rebound after the close loss in the second game of the series on Saturday. With the bases loaded, Missouri scored the opening run in the bottom of the second inning. Abby George grounded out to second base, allowing the runners to advance and Imani Myint to score. Auburn answered in the top of the third inning, putting up four runs with two big hits. Makenna Dowell singled with the bases load to bat in Sydney Cox and Kaylee Horton. Later in the inning, Alyssa Rivera singled to right field to send Tyler King and Dowell home.
Missouri immediately responded with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. After Jenna Laird singled and Moore reached on a fielder’s choice, Wert homered to left field to tie the game. Auburn one run in the top of the fourth inning off a Cox home run, but it was not enough to finish off the game. Missouri scored two more in the bottom of the fourth inning off a Laird single. Auburn’s only hit in the last three innings was a Horton double in the top of the seventh inning. Missouri won with a final score of 6-5 after Dowell grounded out to end the inning.
Auburn looked for consolation in the third and final game on Sunday, starting Shelby Lowe on the mound. The first hit did not come until the bottom of the third inning when Cayla Kessinger and Kendyll Bailey hit back to back singles but were unable to reach home plate. The bats on both teams were kept mostly quiet until an explosive top of the sixth inning. With two runners in scoring position, King singled up the middle and advanced to second base, sending Maddison Koepke and Makayla Packer home. Missouri pitcher Emma Nichols came in for Jordan Weber during the inning, and Dowell singled on a 0-2 count to bat in King. Auburn won 3-0 after Missouri struggled to score, leaving two on base in the last two innings.
Auburn will play its next game on Thursday, hosting Arkansas in a three game series at Plainsman Park.
