AU ROUNDUP: Softball hosts No. 9 Tennessee

Special to the News

Published: March 28, 2008

The Auburn softball team will host the ninth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers in a three-game series at Jane B. Moore Field beginning with a doubleheader at 4 p.m. today.

The Tigers are 28-8 overall this season and are 7-4 in Southeastern Conference play. Tennessee enters the series with a 30-5 overall mark and is 6-4 in the SEC.

The Auburn pitching staff currently leads the SEC in strikeouts with 324 and is second with a 1.57 ERA.

Game 3 of the series is slated for a 1 p.m. start Sunday.

Women’s golf in 4th at Bryan National
BROWN SUMMIT, N.C. — The No. 8 Auburn women’s golf team battled for the top spot most of the day in first round action at the Bryan National Collegiate. The Tigers shot 13-over 301 at the par-72, 6,319-yard Players Course.

The Tigers find themselves just seven shots off the top spot, held by No. 1 Duke (294). Auburn battled with the Blue Devils, No. 5 Florida (298) and No. 38 North Carolina (300) most of the afternoon for the top position, but nine bogeys and a double on the front nine were the difference.

Auburn’s top competitor on the day was senior Margaret Shirley, who fired a 2-over 74 and is tied for 11th. Freshman Cydney Clanton shot 3-over 75 and is tied for 23rd. Junior Mariana Macias and freshman Sarah Thead each carded rounds of 4-over 76 and are tied for 31st. Sophomore
Candace Schepperle is tied for 42nd at 6-over 78.

SEC Championships open today for gymnastics
DULUTH, Ga. — Auburn senior Julie Dwyer drew beam as Auburn’s first rotation for today’s Southeastern Conference Gymnastics Championship, which begin at 4 p.m. in The Arena at the Gwinnett Center.

Auburn is the No. 4 beam team in the nation according to GymInfo. Dwyer is ranked at No. 2 on beam followed by Lindsey Puckett at No. 4. A.J. Mills is tied for No. 19 on beam.

Women’s tennis falls to Tennessee
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Auburn women’s tennis team (13-6, 3-4 SEC) fell 4-3 to No. 20 Tennessee (12-5, 5-2 SEC) Friday.

The Tigers dropped the doubles point, but Fani Chifchieva and Whitney Chappell won their match on court two, 8-6. Alex Haney tied the score at one with her singles win on court two. She defeated Ghizela Schutte 6-2, 6-2. The Tigers led the Vols when Melissa Koning defeated Samantha Orlin 6-2, 6-1, in the three spot.

Auburn sophomore Jil Hastenrath defeated Jennifer Meredith in the five spot and tied the score up. The match came down to Chifchieva and Caitlin Whoriskey in the one spot. Chifchieva won the first set 6-3, but fell 6-4, 6-3 in the second and third sets. The loss snaps a 17-match win streak for Chifchieva.

Targett finishes 4th at Australian Trials
SYDNEY, Australia — Auburn’s Matt Targett posted two more top finishes Friday at the 2008 Telestra Australian Swimming Championships two days after earning a spot on the Australian Olympic Team.

Targett is taking the year off from the Auburn swimming and diving team to concentrate on the Olympics.

The Hawthorn, Victoria native started off the day by finishing fourth in the 100m butterfly with a time of 52.65 – an Olympic “A” cut time.

Targett followed his performance in the 100m fly by also finishing fourth in the 50m freestyle, clocking a time of 22.37.