April 18, 2015
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AUBURN, Ala. -- After four hours, eight innings and two five-run comebacks, the No. 6/7 Auburn softball team defeated No. 6/7 Alabama in the series finale Saturday night, 13-12 at Jane B. Moore Field, preventing the sweep and sending the season-high crowd of 2,006 fans home with smiles on their faces.
"We talked about it yesterday that we had to have some defining moments," Auburn head coach Clint Myers said. "Alabama is a good ball club. They're well coached and they have great athletes. This was a great example of what we have to do to get ready for the postseason. I was very proud of the way we fought back. This shows our resiliency and the quality of our character. We're moving in the right direction."
Alabama had two five-run innings in the entire game before the Tigers forced the extra frame. Auburn came back from each of those five-run deficits and then scoring three in the eighth to win it on an Alabama throwing error as the Tide attempted a double-play to end the game.
With runners on first and second, Kasey Cooper was at the plate and the game tied at 12-12. Cooper swung at the first pitch she saw and hit an easy grounder to short that looked to be an easy double-play ball. However, the Alabama second baseman, Demi Turner was forced to rush her throw to get Cooper at first, the throw went wide and allowed Tiffany Howard to score the winning run from second. Â
The Crimson Tide had already scored two runs in the top of the eighth to take a 12-10 lead, but Auburn got the bats going at the right time in the bottom half of the inning starting with a one-out double by Carlee Wallace to put two runners in scoring position and the top of Auburn's lineup due.
After Howard walked to load the bases, junior Emily Carosone came through with her fourth hit of the night, a one-out single down the left field foul line to tie the game at 12-12.
Carosone finished the game 4-for-5 with four RBI and one walk. It's her first four-hit game of the season and third four-hit game of her career.
"For us tonight, it was all about battling," Carosone said after the game. "We wanted to win and did not want to get swept. Every hitter has their at-bat. Jenna Abbott's homer to get us within one is huge. Every one of us on the team is capable of things like that and is ready to do that at any time."
Alabama had begun the game scoring five runs off Auburn starter Rachael Walters and then were held in check by Marcy Harper for the next four innings. Harper struggled to get out of the sixth inning, which was when the Crimson Tide scored their next five runs, three off a homer by Jadyn Spencer.
Even with the two big innings from Alabama, Auburn battled back both times, scoring two runs in the first and three in the fourth.
After Alabama had taken a 10-5 lead, the Tigers wasted no time getting back within striking distance in the bottom of the sixth inning. Cooper, Branndi Melero and Morgan Estell led off the inning with three-straight singles. Cooper scored on Estell's single to cut the lead to 10-6. Estell finished her game 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored with one double.
With one out and still Melero and Estell on base, sophomore Jenna Abbott launched her first homer of the year over the centerfield wall. The three-run blast cut the Tide's lead to 10-9 and gave the Tigers all the hope it needed.
The big four-run sixth led to the tying run in the seventh, marking Auburn's second comeback in the game.
Auburn totaled 14 hits in the contest from seven different players. After Carosone's four-hit game and Estell's three-hit game, both Cooper and Melero had two hits, followed by Rhodes, Abbott and Wallace, who each had one.
Lexi Davis was awarded the victory after the wild finish, even though she only threw two-thirds of an inning, allowing only one run on one hit with one strikeout. Davis was brought in to pitch in the top of the eighth inning after Walters had allowed the lead-off batter to walk. Davis gave up the two-run homer to Leona Lafaele, allowing Alabama to take its final lead of the night 12-10.
Saturday's marathon game was actually the second of a double-header after Sunday's game got moved because of potential weather. Auburn didn't have as exciting an outcome in that first game, falling to the Crimson Tide, 13-3. That loss marked Auburn's first series loss of the conference season, snapping a streak of five-straight series victories.
Auburn stays home next week for its home series finale against another conference foe in Arkansas. The Razorbacks will come to Jane B. Moore Field for a three-game series starting on Friday at 6 p.m. Saturday's game two will be at 6 p.m., also, and Sunday's Senior Day final will be at 1 p.m.
Sunday's game will be the last regular-season home game for seniors Morgan Estell, Branndi Melero and McKenzie Kilpatrick and all three along with Arkansas' seniors will be honored prior to Sunday's game.
For more information on Auburn softball, visit AuburnTigers.com, follow the team on Twitter @Auburn_Softball or follow them on Facebook at Facebook.com/AuburnSoftball.