May 20, 2017
By Tori Sisson
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. - With some helpful advice from her teammates, senior third baseman Kasey Cooper got her mojo back Saturday in Auburn's 4-3 nine-inning NCAA Regional win against California.
Cooper, hitless in her previous nine at-bats, reached out to catcher Carlee Wallace for guidance before going to the plate in the sixth inning.
Cooper said Wallace told her, "`I have no regrets and I swing with everything I have because right now I don't have anything to lose. You should try it.'"
Cooper then asked a few of her teammates on the bench what it looked like she was doing wrong. "They said, `Coop you're thinking way too much. Stop thinking and play. Swing the bat.' So I said, `Alright, I should.' And then I tied the game."
Trailing California 3-2, with runners on second and third and two outs, Cooper hit a clutch single to left to score Morgan Podany with the tying run.
Despite Cooper's uncharacteristic slump, Auburn coach Clint Myers had faith in his seasoned star.
"You look over the past four years and Coop has come through quite a few times," said Myers. "When the game's on the line I don't mind having the bat in her hand."
After that explosive at-bat, Cooper's success carried through the rest of the game.
Although her pinch-runner later got picked off, Cooper got the Tigers rolling in the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff single. "Their plan worked," said Cooper, regarding her teammates' advice.
The Tigers would eventually win on Alyssa Rivera's two-strike, walk-off RBI single.
"The ninth inning was a great inning for us," Myers said. "You want that passion, that excitement, that energy--and it was there today."
Needing one more to advance to next week's Super Regional, the Tigers will take on the California-Notre Dame winner Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Cal and Notre Dame are scheduled to resume Sunday at 10 a.m. CT, with Cal leading 4-3 in the fifth inning.