May 15, 2009
ATLANTA – Auburn pitcher Anna Thompson tossed a three-hit shutout as the third-seeded Tigers (30-27) held off No. 2-seed Iowa (42-15), 1-0, Friday afternoon at Mewborn Field in the first game of the Atlanta Regional.
The Tigers used some small ball to score the game’s only run in the top of the first inning. Myesha Benjamin, who was hit by the first pitch of the game, stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Tatiana Fernandez then knocked in Benjamin on a base hit to right field and that was all Thompson needed.
Brittany Well of the Hawkeyes was pretty good in the circle as well, scattering five hits, striking out five and walking only one but the early hit-batsman deemed costly.
Iowa threatened in the fourth inning when Chelsey Camody led off the inning with a single to left center. With one out, she advanced to second on a wild pitch but was stranded as Colleen McGlauglin struck out looking and Liz Watkins fouled out.
Auburn will now go on to face the winner of tonight’s game between No. 14 Georgia Tech and Boston University in the winner’s bracket tomorrow at 1 p.m. Iowa, meanwhile, will face the loser of tonight’s second game in an elimination game tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.
