AUBURN, Ala. – Texas State and Auburn entered the sixth inning tied a 1-1, but the No. 2-ranked Tigers erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the frame en route to an 8-1 win Saturday evening at Jane. B. Moore Field.
 
The first 6.5 inning played as a pitcher's duel with both Texas State's Randi Rupp and Auburn's Makayla Martin racking up seven and eight strikeouts, respectively.
 
Kimberlin Naivar led off the game with a single to left and advanced to second on a field error by the Tiger shortstop that put Ariel Ortiz on first with one out. However, both runners would stay in place as Martin came back with two strikeouts to end the Bobcat threat. In the bottom of the inning Auburn also got a runner to second, but Rupp answered by inducing a pop up to short before closing the inning with her first strikeout of the game.
 
Both Martin and Rupp struck out the side in the second and both relied on their defenses for three outs in the third to keep the game scoreless.
 
Ortiz broke the scoreless tie with one down in the fourth as the junior sent Martin's first offering of the inning over the center field wall for her fifth round-tripper of the season. The no-doubter was the first surrendered by the Tiger pitching staff this season.
 
Auburn tied the game in the home half of the fifth. Carlee Wallace walked with one out and came around to score two batters later on Haley Fagan's triple down the right-field line. A ground ball to third stranded Fagan at third and closed the inning.
 
Following a three up, three down top half by the Bobcats and a hit batsman to lead off the Auburn sixth, the game was delayed for nearly 20 minutes as the home plate umpire was tended to by the Auburn athletic training staff. When play resumed, Alyssa Rivera singled to short and Morgan Podany walked to load the bases, prompting a move to the bullpen to bring in Quincy Charleston.
 
Pinch hitter Jenna Abbott immediately doubled home two runs and Victoria Draper followed with an RBI ground out. A Wallace sacrifice fly to right scored Whitney Jordan for a 5-1 Tiger lead. Kasey Cooper then homered to center and after Fagan reached on an error Kendall Veach capped the Tigers' scoring two a two-run shot over the left field wall.
 
Rupp (8-2) suffered the loss, while Martin moved her record to 8-2 with the win.
 
Texas State finishes the Wilson/DeMarini Classic with a 3-1 record and is now 13-4 on the season. Auburn ran its record to 18-2 overall with the win.  
 
UP NEXT
Texas State returns to the friendly confines of Bobcat Softball Stadium at 6 p.m. on Wednesday (March 7) to face Incarnate Word.
 
FOLLOW THE BOBCATS
For all of the latest news and information on Bobcat softball, visit TXSTATEBOBCATS.com. Fans can also follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/TXStateSoftball along on Twitter (@TXStateSoftball) and Instagram (@TXStateSoftball).
 
-- TXSTATEBOBCATS.COM --