On Monday, Auburn's Shelby Lowe was named SEC Freshman of the Week by the conference after an undefeated pitching performance at the Auburn Invitational. The freshman pitched in a total of 15.1 innings with a team-high 26 strikeouts. She gave up three walks, and two earned runs over the weekend as well. She held batters to a .167 average. This is the third time this season that an Auburn softball freshman has been awarded this honor. Fellow freshman Maddie Penta has earned the honor twice this season. The two have set a program record with the highest number of SEC Freshman of the Week awards.
Lowe began her weekend against Troy as a relief pitcher with a mission to stop two runners with two outs on the board. Lowe got the final out and held the rest of the batter's hitless for 3.1 innings with seven strikeouts. In Auburn’s doubleheader against Southern Miss, Lowe earned her third double-digit strikeout performance with 11 strikeouts. She pitched a complete game against the Golden Eagles, only allowing one unearned run off of five hits. This ended her scoreless innings streak at 24.1 innings, the eighth-highest in program history.
Lowe ended the weekend with a win against Southeastern Louisiana, where she pitched in five innings, allowing two runs on five hits.
*Article was first published with The Auburn Plainsman
*Photos belong to Auburn Athletics