AUBURN, Ala. – No. 19 Auburn (33-13, 9-6 SEC) was back in action at Jane B. Moore Field against Jacksonville State (26-14, 12-3 OVC) Wednesday. In a game that favored the Tigers heavily, it did not come without its struggles. Despite the challenges and close calls all over the field, Auburn was able to secure a 3-0 victory, extending the unbeaten streak to 13 against Jacksonville State at Jane B. Moore Field.
Maddie Penta started in the circle for Auburn against the Gamecocks. The junior was able to collect three strikeouts on the night to become the fourth player in program history to surpass 6000 career strikeouts.
Lindsey Richardson would be able to take advantage of Penta early in the game, securing a hit in the first inning. After that not much else would be doing for the junior or the Gamecocks as a whole.
It was a collective effort from Auburn’s pitching staff, limiting Jacksonville State to a total of four hits. After three innings of action from Penta, Shelby Lowe put in a crucial two innings while only allowing one hit.
Auburn turned to Annabelle Widra for the final two innings. The sophomore put on a show, only allowing one hit in the eighth inning before following it up with a ninth inning that saw the left-handed pitcher throw two strikeouts.
It was a very different story for Jacksonville State when it came to pitching. The Gamecocks struggled all night to find a consistent arm, ultimately using four pitchers throughout the matchup. No matter which pitcher was in the circle, Auburn seemed to have the upper hand in the tight contest.
Bri Ellis took no time to expose the pitching of the Gamecocks early on. In the bottom of the first inning, the sophomore would show off the ability to hit with power, launching the ball well over the wall in left field for the early 2-0 lead.
“I always want to score for Maddie,” Ellis said. “Personally, I just want to put up as many runs up on the board for her and for our team, so it was really nice to finally get a hold of one and put some runs on the board.”
The homerun is Ellis’ first since the final game of the Florida series and third in SEC play.
Icess Tresvik would hit a ball almost identical to Ellis’ when the bottom of the fifth inning came around. The outfielder stepped up to the plate after taking a moment and delivered exactly what Auburn needed, another run on the scoresheet to extend the lead.
“I was just looking for something I can drive,” Tresvik said. “I just remained calm and saw she threw an inside pitch to me, and that is like my favorite pitch to hit right now, so I took that opportunity to hit it over.”
The Tigers will turn the attention to rivals No. 14 Alabama this upcoming weekend. Auburn travel to Tuscaloosa in search of its second consecutive SEC series win. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT with broadcasting on the SEC Network.
