GULF SHORES, Ala. – Freshman hurler Morgan Ferguson and the 14th-ranked Auburn University at Montgomery softball team defeated Saint Leo 8-1 on Sunday afternoon to clinch their third victory at the Gulf Shores Invitational.
AUM moves to 3-0 to start the year, with Ferguson notching three victories in the circle in her first three games as a student-athlete. Saint Leo, meanwhile, moves to 2-2 to start the 2022 season.
Ferguson was stellar in the circle again for AUM after earning her first career start. She tossed all seven innings for the Warhawks, surrendering just one unearned run on five hits while striking out seven batters.
Former first-team all-GSC third baseman Gia Martin was the offensive standout of the afternoon in Gulf Shores, going 3-3 at the plate with a two-run triple, a two-run home run, and a base hit. She finishes the tournament hitting .571 with four extra-base hits and eight RBIs.
After the Warhawks went down in order in their half of the first inning, AUM was able to gain some offensive momentum in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded and one out, newcomer Shelby Newsome earned a walk to bring in the first run of the game.
The Warhawks used their speed in the bottom half of the third inning as Chloe Derrick was able to lay a bunt single down that was kicked around by the Lions defense, allowing Olivia Aycock to score on an error to double the AUM lead.
Moments later, Martin connected on a line shot into the right-centerfield gap to score Derrick and Molly Cobb. Her second triple of the season gave the Warhawks a four-run lead, and a bunt single from Alex Howard allowed Martin to score to push the score to 5-0.
While Ferguson continued to limit Saint Leo's offense, Martin came to the plate in the bottom of the fifth with Derrick on base and ripped a home run down the right-field line to give the Warhawks a 7-1 lead.
Saint Leo scored a run after AUM traded an out for the first Lion run of the game on a stolen base attempt, but freshman slugger Lexie Bullock got the AUM lead back to seven in the following inning after connecting on her first home run of the year.
The Warhawks will now turn their attention to Daytona Beach, Florida, where they will participate in the Embry-Riddle Tournament. The Warhawks will play four games in Florida, two against host Embry-Riddle and two against the University of Tampa. Two games will be played on Friday, with the final two games being played on Saturday.
For the latest on AUM athletics, find us on
Facebook,
Twitter and
Instagram.
Go "All In For AUM"
The 2022 "All-In For AUM" Campaign is a department-wide fundraiser taking place from Feb. 6-12. All donations this week, regardless of amount, are greatly appreciated and will go towards continuing to enhance our athletic programs. Donations can be made at the link below.
DONATE HERE
