May 6, 2016
By Charles Goldberg
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬- Coach Clint Myers will be looking for his Auburn softball team to bounce back Saturday after a 6-5 extra-inning loss to Texas A&M on Friday that carried the Tigers to unfamiliar waters.
Auburn will play the Aggies again Saturday at Jane B. Moore Field after a Friday loss extended the Tigers' losing streak to just three games, but that's the longest in two years.
"It's about playing your best softball at the end. We're getting close to the end," Myers said. "We need to turn things around. Somebody asked, 'Did we peak early?' I don't think so.
"We have the capabilities of being a great team."
For now, 'It's a character-maker."
Auburn will wrap up the regular season Saturday and Sunday looking to impress before next week's Southeastern Conference Tournament and then NCAA regional play. No. 6 Auburn can point to a 45-8 overall record and a 15-6 mark in SEC play. No. 17 Texas A&M improved to 36-16 overall and 8-14 in the league.
Auburn, which made it to the College World Series last season, has been so strong that a three-game anomaly is news. Myers said Auburn will play on down the stretch.
"Pressure? Pressure is self-induced," Myers said. "What we've got to do is find Auburn softball. That's good pitching and good defense. They had three or four infield hits. We have to play better than that. We've just got to come back to Auburn softball and defend the groundball better."
Courtney Shea gave Auburn a 4-3 lead with a 2-run double in the fifth. But A&M's Ashley Waters tied the game in the seventh with an RBI single. The Aggies took a 6-4 lead in the eighth thanks to home runs from Samantha Show and Cali Lanpher. Auburn cut it to 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth on a Tiffany Howard hit. The game ended with the potential tying run at third.
Auburn was that close.
"No excuses, we've got to go out and be better than we were tonight," Myers said.
Jade Rhodes and Whitney Jordan also drove in runs for Auburn. Show was the winning pitcher and improved to 22-9. Rachael Walters, who pitched the final two innings, fell to 9-3.
"Bloop single to rightÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ I don't think Rachael made any bad pitches out there," Myers said.
Auburn and A&M will finish the series with 1 p.m. games Saturday and Sunday.
Charles Goldberg is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Following him on Twitter: Follow @AUGoldMine
I do! Auburn's Marcy Harper and Tyler Baughman get engaged after Friday's softball game. Watch: pic.twitter.com/C3bTr17ClL
- Auburn Gold Mine (@AUGoldMine) May 7, 2016