April 13, 2014
Box Score
AUBURN, Ala. - No. 16 Mizzou Softball finished off No. 20 Auburn for a series sweep, 7-6, on Sunday with big solo-shot home run swings in the top of the seventh inning by junior IF Corrin Genovese (East Amherst, N.Y.) and freshman IF/OF Kelli Schkade (Albany, Texas). Head coach Ehren Earleywine's squad (32-10, 9-6 SEC) was staked to a 4-0 lead in the third inning by junior 1B Kelsea Roth (Yorba Linda, Calif.), who blasted Mizzou's third grand slam of the season.
Senior P Alora Marble (Jefferson City, Mo.) earned the victory (5-0) in a relief appearance, pitching the final 3.0 innings with five hits and one earned run allowed. Homered to a 7-5 lead by Genovese and Schkade in the seventh, Marble allowed her only earned run of the game with one out, but induced a foulout and groundout to finish the game and the sweep.
Roth's grand swing came with two outs in the top of the third. The Tigers had the bases loaded with two singles and a walk, with the base knocks coming from redshirt sophomore OF Taylor Gadbois (Maryville, Mo.) and senior OF Mackenzie Sykes (Blue Springs, Mo.). Junior 3B/C Angela Randazzo (Poway, Calif.). walked in between them to give Roth the chance for her first grand slam of 2014 and fourth of her career.
Auburn (31-12-1, 6-9 SEC) tied the game with four runs on just two hits in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded on walks, Mizzou and freshman P/OF/1B Casey Stangel (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) nearly got out of the inning with a strikeout and pickoff between third base and home in the same sequence. A single for two runs and a home run followed for Auburn to knot the game up at 4-4.
A walk earned by Sykes started movement for Mizzou in the top of the fifth, with singles from Genovese and Roth loading the bases with one out. Schkade hit into a fielder's choice up the middle of Aubun's defense, but beat out the potential double play, allowing Sykes to score for a 5-4 Mizzou lead.
The game was tied again at 5-5 in the sixth before Mizzou's late heroics after a single by Auburn with a runner on first base was able to score, moving around the bases on two Mizzou overthrows.
Gadbois, Genovese, Roth and Schkade all batted 2-for-4 in the win. Randazzo led the Tigers with two walks, while Gadbois stole two bases.
Mizzou defeated Auburn, 4-2, on Friday, April 11, and 8-6 on Saturday, April 12, to clinch the series ahead of the sweep.
Mizzou is back in action in a midweek doubleheader at Iowa on Wednesday, April 16, with 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. start times. The Tigers return home for more SEC action with Ole Miss from Friday, April 18-Saturday April 19. Mizzou and the Rebels play a doubleheader on Friday (5 p.m./7 p.m.), before a 2 p.m. series finale on Saturday.
