5.2 scoreless innings from Maddie Penta was not quite enough for the Tigers to pick up their 21st win of the season.
The Auburn Tigers (20-3) fell 2-1 to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (12-8) at Shirley Clements Mewborn Field in Atlanta this afternoon.
“They out-hit us,” said Auburn head coach Mickey Dean. “They outplayed us on defense, and they out-pitched us. Usually, the team that does that is going to win. We didn’t have good approaches in our at-bats. We just want to pass the bat. I think we were trying to do too much. The later we got into the game, it got worse. We calmed down and got a couple good at-bats. They switched pitchers and got out of the inning. We threw close to 100 pitches. I always tell our pitchers that it only takes one bad one, and we threw two bad pitches.”
Penta got the start for Auburn, pitching 5.2 innings, allowing one run off of five hits and striking out eight batters. Shelby Lowe tossed the last 0.2 innings, allowing one run off of one hit and striking out one batter.
Blake Neleman got the start for Georgia Tech, tossing 6.2 innings. She allowed one run off of five hits, walked four batters and struck out seven. Chandler Dennis pitched the last 0.1 innings and recorded one strikeout.
This game was scoreless all the way until the sixth inning.
Sophomore catcher Jessie Blaine hit her second home run of the season in the top of the inning to put the Tigers up 1-0.
Grace Connelly hit a single to left field in the bottom of the inning that allowed Jin Sileo to cross the plate and tie the game at 1-1.
Reese Hunter hit a solo home run to left center in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the 2-1 walk-off victory for Georgia Tech.
Both teams left a lot of runners stranded. The Tigers left six, the Yellow Jackets left four.
Auburn will be in action all weekend as the Tigers open up conference play against the Georgia Bulldogs (18-5) on the road in Athens. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. on Friday, 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
