February 14, 2024
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico - Maddie Penta pitched five solid innings to start allowing just one run on three hits before coming back to get the win in relief as #24 Auburn beat Wichita State 8-6 in eight innings in a wild final game of the day at the Puerto Vallarta Challenge.
Penta (1-1) became just the fourth player in program history to record 700 career strikeouts in the win. She pitched 6 1/3 innings total and allowed three hits, walked two and struck out 10 in the two appearances on the night and finished the game with 703 career strikeouts.
Auburn led 6-1 heading to the seventh before Bailey Urban’s two-out grand slam pulled the Shockers to within 6-5. Avery Barnard scored on a wild pitch to tie the game 6-6 following and error earlier in the inning.
In the eighth, Auburn took the lead on an RBI ground out by Rose Roach before Nelia Peralta’s RBI single gave the Tigers an insurance run.
The Tigers (2-1-1) scored four times in the top of the fourth without a hit following a brief rain delay. The Tigers took advantage of five walks and two hit batters to plate the four runs.
Urban had three hits for Wichita State (2-2) as the Shockers had eight hits in the game.
In the top of the fourth, Skylar Elkins was hit by a pitch on the first pitch with the bases loaded before Rose Roach drew a bases loaded walk, Nelia Peralta added an RBI ground out and Icess Tresvik plated another run with a bases loaded walk to cap the four-run inning giving the Tigers a 6-1 lead.
Auburn scored twice in the second on an RBI singles by Skylar Elkins and Roach.The Shockers loaded the bases in the home half of the second, but Penta got a strikeout to escape the jam.Addison Barnard’s solo homer in the third got the Shockers on the board cutting the lead in half 2-1.