Special to the News

The Auburn softball team will travel to Troy to take on the Trojans in a 6 p.m. game today.

Auburn is 10-1 on the season, while Troy is 7-2. The Tigers lead the all-time series 8-6, but Troy has won the last two meetings including a 3-0 victory last season in Auburn. The Tigers are 4-3 against the Trojans in Troy.

“This will be a tough test for our team,” Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. “Troy is a good team and they always play us close. We will have to go in with the right mindset and play fundamentally sound ball ...”

The last seven games in the series have been decided by an average 1.5 runs. In the 14 game history between Auburn and Troy, 10 have been decided by three runs or less.

Schepperle leads women’s golf team into 1st place
PARRISH, Fla. — Auburn junior Candace Schepperle finished the first day of the Central District Invitational at 5-under-par 139, as she led the 10th-ranked Tigers to first place in the two-day event. Also in the top five after two rounds is freshman Patricia Sanz with her 2-under 142.

Hosted by Michigan State University, the Central District Invitational is a 54-hole tournament being played at River Wilderness Country Club in Parrish, Fla. The par-72 course plays at 6,099 yards.

“We had a great first round today, I was very happy with how we came out and played this morning,” said Auburn head coach Kim Evans. “Being the first tournament of the year, a lot of times teams can come out cold, but I thought we really prepared for this tournament and it showed.”

Four of the five Tigers in the lineup carded rounds at even-par or better in the first round, helping Auburn to a 4-under-par 284 in the opening round of play. Schepperle and newcomer Haley Wilson, who joined the team in January, each came in with a 2-under 70. Sanz and sophomore Cydney
Clanton followed at even-par 72.

Schepperle kept rolling in the second round as she posted one of only two rounds in the 60s on the day, coming into the clubhouse with a 3-under 69 to finish the day in first place with a 5-under-par 139. She currently holds the lead by one stroke over Duke’s Amanda Blumenherst (70-70-140).

Sanz posted her first round under par to finish right behind Schepperle, carding a 2-under 70 to finish the day in a tie for third with a 2-under 142.
Also finishing in the top 15 was Wilson, tallying a 79 in the second round to finish out in a tie for 14th at 5-over 149.

All five Tigers competing in the event finished in the top 45 of the 75-player field. Clanton (72-79-151) finished the day in a tie for 26th, while senior Mariana Macias (79-77-156) came in tied for 45th.

As a team, Auburn holds a commanding 10-stroke lead over No. 14 LSU, who is in second place with a 13-over-par 589. Purdue, who is ranked 13th in the country, sits two strokes behind LSU in fourth place with No. 8 Duke in fourth at 16-over-par 592. Host No. 15 Michigan State rounds out
the top five with a two-round total of 25-over 601.

Action at the Central District Invitational concludes today.