AUBURN - Maybe, Fayetteville-Manlius should watch out.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
Auburn pitcher Brittney Babcock tags out Rome Free Academy's Lyndsey Brognano after she tried to score on a wild pitch Wednesday afternoon at Clifford Park in Auburn.
Auburn pitcher Brittney Babcock tags out Rome Free Academy's Lyndsey Brognano after she tried to score on a wild pitch Wednesday afternoon at Clifford Park in Auburn.
If the Auburn softball trend of this season continues, where the Maroons take a hard loss and follow it up with a big win, the Hornets could be in for a tough afternoon when Auburn comes to town Friday.
Auburn had a rare rough game on Wednesday, when it rustled up just two hits in a 6-0 loss to Rome Free Academy at Clifford Field.
“After tough losses this year, we've come back big,” Maroons coach Bob Lee said. “We lost to Central Square in the seventh inning and then came back to beat Oswego for the first time in 12 years a couple weeks ago. I just hope that trend continues.”
The Black Knights held a slim 2-0 lead until they scored four runs in the sixth after the Maroons' only error. With two outs, a foul ball went off the glove of Maroons first baseman Sarah Green for the team's only error. A couple of pitches later, Black Knights' leadoff batter Lyndsey Broghano belted a three-run double into center field to seal the game.
“We made just one error, but it really cost us,” Lee said. “We played a good team though, Rome is very good.”
The Black Knights, who booted the Maroons out of the playoffs last season, scattered nine hits off Brittney Babcock. Babcock went the complete game, striking out five and walking just three and allowing two earned runs.
“Her best innings, I think, were the third and fourth (when she had two strikeouts in nine batters),” Lee said of his hurler. “She hadn't pitched in nearly a week; we've been off since Friday. She didn't pitch bad, but her third, fourth and even the fifth were pretty good. She just had a bad sixth inning.”
The Knights roped three hits in their big inning, including an RBI for Sarah Westfall. Janet Rolf scored Brenna Rocci in the fourth on an RBI triple, while Brognano brought in Lindsey Barone in the fifth on another triple.
“We definitely had some big hits tonight,” said Rome coach Jerry Tabolt. “We got that big hit after the error that we scored three on, but it could have been a lot closer of a ballgame if not for that.”
Offensively, the Maroons simply couldn't hit off of Knights' pitcher Courtney Creedon, who racked up 11 strikeouts out of the 24 batters she faced.
“We got good pitching from her today,” Tabolt said. “She keeps the ball in and out usually - she hardly ever throws down the middle.”
Shannon McCormick, who made a handful of phenomenal catches in center field, belted the first hit for the Maroons as the leadoff batter in the first. Jamie Bruno earned the second one, a single in the fourth.
“Right now, our offense is not clicking,” Lee said. “But that's the way we've been, up and down all season.”
The Knights (3-1 league, 9-3 overall) and Maroons (7-5) could meet again this season - in the postseason. Last June, Rome earned a 3-0 victory to move on after defeating the 10-0 in the regular season.
Despite keeping Auburn scoreless in the last three meetings, Tabolt refused to discount the Maroons.
“They're young, but Bob and I have been coaching against each other for what seems like 100 years,” Tabolt said. “They're always competitive, so it works out well. They're going to be a lot better by the end of the year, there's no doubt about that.”
B. Knights 6
Maroons 0
Auburn had a rare rough game on Wednesday, when it rustled up just two hits in a 6-0 loss to Rome Free Academy at Clifford Field.
“After tough losses this year, we've come back big,” Maroons coach Bob Lee said. “We lost to Central Square in the seventh inning and then came back to beat Oswego for the first time in 12 years a couple weeks ago. I just hope that trend continues.”
The Black Knights held a slim 2-0 lead until they scored four runs in the sixth after the Maroons' only error. With two outs, a foul ball went off the glove of Maroons first baseman Sarah Green for the team's only error. A couple of pitches later, Black Knights' leadoff batter Lyndsey Broghano belted a three-run double into center field to seal the game.
“We made just one error, but it really cost us,” Lee said. “We played a good team though, Rome is very good.”
The Black Knights, who booted the Maroons out of the playoffs last season, scattered nine hits off Brittney Babcock. Babcock went the complete game, striking out five and walking just three and allowing two earned runs.
“Her best innings, I think, were the third and fourth (when she had two strikeouts in nine batters),” Lee said of his hurler. “She hadn't pitched in nearly a week; we've been off since Friday. She didn't pitch bad, but her third, fourth and even the fifth were pretty good. She just had a bad sixth inning.”
The Knights roped three hits in their big inning, including an RBI for Sarah Westfall. Janet Rolf scored Brenna Rocci in the fourth on an RBI triple, while Brognano brought in Lindsey Barone in the fifth on another triple.
“We definitely had some big hits tonight,” said Rome coach Jerry Tabolt. “We got that big hit after the error that we scored three on, but it could have been a lot closer of a ballgame if not for that.”
Offensively, the Maroons simply couldn't hit off of Knights' pitcher Courtney Creedon, who racked up 11 strikeouts out of the 24 batters she faced.
“We got good pitching from her today,” Tabolt said. “She keeps the ball in and out usually - she hardly ever throws down the middle.”
Shannon McCormick, who made a handful of phenomenal catches in center field, belted the first hit for the Maroons as the leadoff batter in the first. Jamie Bruno earned the second one, a single in the fourth.
“Right now, our offense is not clicking,” Lee said. “But that's the way we've been, up and down all season.”
The Knights (3-1 league, 9-3 overall) and Maroons (7-5) could meet again this season - in the postseason. Last June, Rome earned a 3-0 victory to move on after defeating the 10-0 in the regular season.
Despite keeping Auburn scoreless in the last three meetings, Tabolt refused to discount the Maroons.
“They're young, but Bob and I have been coaching against each other for what seems like 100 years,” Tabolt said. “They're always competitive, so it works out well. They're going to be a lot better by the end of the year, there's no doubt about that.”
B. Knights 6
Maroons 0
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