Tigers walk off Missouri to complete sweep

The Auburn softball team is starting to develop a sense of the dramatic as they once again walked off the Missouri Tigers.

This time it was Denver Bryant who came through by driving in Abbey Smith to secure the 2-1 win Monday night at Jane. B. Moore Field.

“All I could do was make sure I got on base for my teammates,” Bryant said. “We can take this momentum and keep going, keep winning. We can take this thing as far as we want to.”

After Auburn (25-9, 4-2 SEC) scored in the first inning their offense went cold until the bottom of the seventh inning with the game tied 1-1.

Aubrie Lisenby walked to start the rally and head coach Mickey Dean promptly subbed in the speedy Abbey Smith to pinch run for her, a decision that would prove crucial two batters later. Bri Ellis singled to left field to advance Smith to second, bringing up Bryant with the winning run in scoring position.

Bryant wasted no time ending the game by singling into right field and Smith scampered home to give Auburn its second-straight walk off win over Missouri.

It is Auburn’s first sweep of Missouri in program history.

“Tonight, you saw two good teams battling,” Dean said. “Our kids certainly battled. I challenged them in the last two innings to play with some more confidence. As each player starts to grow their confidence, good things will continue to happen.”

While the offense got it done late, maddie penta once again shut down the Missouri lineup. Despite walking four Missouri batters, Auburn’s ace allowed just one run on one hit and struck out eight batters in another dominant outing.

The Tiger opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when Jessie Blaine sent Kenadie Cooper home with a sacrifice fly to right field.

Missouri answered back in the top of the third when Payton Jackson smacked a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1, it was their only hit of the game.

After that, both pitchers settled in and took over the game. Auburn did not have another base runner until Lisenby walked with one out in the seventh inning. Missouri only managed two runners in that same time, both via walk, and neither made it to second base.