ATLANTA – The Georgia State softball team was defeated by No. 21 Auburn 16-1 Wednesday night at the Robert E. Heck Softball Complex. GSU falls to 14-17 overall and shortstop Taylor Anderson scored the Panthers' only run on a solo home run.
“Taylor hit another home run tonight which is great,” head coach Roger Kincaid said after the tough loss. “It was her seventh which leads the team. Overall she playing extremely well for us this season and she is just a sophomore. The rest of the coaching staff and I are really proud of her.”
In the top of the first, center fielder Morgan Estell reached on a one-out error by GSU center fielder Ashely Christy. Then Kasey Cooper hit a home run to right center to give Auburn a 2-0 lead. After a walk, Panther starter Kaitlyn Medlam forced a pop-up and groundout to end the Tiger half of the inning.
Anderson led off the bottom of the first with a walk then advanced to second on Christy's sacrifice bunt. First baseman Lauren Coleman then drew a walk. She was then forced out at second on a fielder's choice and Anderson advanced to third. A strikeout ended the inning with Auburn leading 2-0 after one complete.
After a scoreless second inning, Auburn scored five runs in the top of the third on four singles and a grand slam by Jade Rhodes. In the bottom of the inning, Anderson hit a lead-off, solo homer to dead center to put the Panthers on the scoreboard and make it a 7-1 game after three innings.
Auburn scored two runs in the top of the fourth on Cooper's second home run of the game to extend their lead to 9-1. In the bottom half of the frame, third baseman MeQuilla Franklin led off with a single through the right side. After two groundouts, left fielder Morgan Brown walked to put runners on first and second. Both were stranded when a strikeout ended the threat with the Tigers leading 9-1 after four.
Auburn scored seven runs in the top of the fifth to extend its lead to 16-1. In the Georgia State half of the inning, Coleman reached with a one-out single up the middle and advanced to second on Callie Alford's single back to the pitcher. However, the game ended on a double play to Auburn shortstop Kelsey Bogaards.
GSU starter Kaitlyn Medlam falls to 8-7 after the loss. She pitched two innings and allowed four runs on two hits. Auburn starter Marcy Harper improved to 14-0 after pitching three innings and allowing only one run on two hits.
Georgia returns to the field on Saturday, March 29 to face Troy on the road in Sun Belt Conference play. The Panthers and Trojans will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 2 p.m. and a single game Sunday, March 30 at 1 p.m.
“We need to regroup after this game,” Kincaid said. “We will practice hard tomorrow and then head to Troy, Ala. for a three game series starting on Saturday. We must put this game behind us and shift our focus to Troy this weekend.”
