AUBURN, Ala. (EETV)- Auburn Softball starts their season off with a bang taking down Seton Hall, 10-3, on Friday in the first game of a double-header inside Jane B. Moore Field. The win moves Auburn to 1-0 on the season.
Sophomore Makayla Packer led off for Auburn and got not only Auburn’s campaign off to a hot start, but her own. Packer took the second pitch she saw over the left field wall to give Auburn an early 1-0 lead.
From that point on, Auburn never looked back. Auburn added two more runs in the bottom of the first and three more in the bottom of the second. The Tigers slowly added to the lead after that getting a run here and there before Nelia Peralta took a ball deep for a two-run home run.
Packer finished her day at the plate going 1-for-2 after getting hit-by-pitch and walked.
Sophomore Maddie Penta got the start on the mound for Auburn. Penta, a member of the All-SEC Freshman team a season ago, picked up right where she left off. Penta pitched a complete game giving up four hits and two earned runs. Penta pitched a total of 112 pitches in the win.
Penta struck out 16 and only walked one in the opening day win. Penta’s 16 strikeouts were two shy of the single game record at Auburn of 18. The only blemish on Penta’s debut was the two-run home run she gave up in the sixth inning. The sophomore’s record moves to 1-0 on the season.
The Tigers went cold at the plate from the second inning on. The Tigers picked up five hits in the first two innings and it was not until sixth inning that the Tigers got another hit. Peralta got the big hit in the sixth that got the Tigers back on track at the plate.
Peralta had an amazing debut at the plate for the Tigers. Peralta went 2-for-4 from the plate and drove in four runs. Peralta’s day was highlighted by a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning that opened the Tiger lead to seven.
Auburn softball returns to action on for the second game of a double-header against St. Johns. Auburn returns on Saturday for day two of the Tiger Invitational. The Tigers will take on St. Johns at 2:30 PM CST and Seton Hall at 5:00 PM CST at Jane B. Moore Field.
