May 9, 2018
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COLUMBIA, Mo. - No. 15 Auburn softball fought hard from start to finish but ultimately fell to No. 13 Alabama 6-4 in the opening round of the SEC Tournament Wednesday night at the Missouri Softball Stadium.
"We had great offensive approach," head coach Mickey Dean said. "I don't know how many hits we had, but our offensive approach was great from inning one through inning seven. We had opportunities in every inning except for one or two to score some runs. We kept the pressure on them. Now, someone has to come through with a hit, and that's really what it comes down to. If we can take that approach into the postseason, into the NCAA Tournament, I'm excited."
The Tigers tallied just four hits, but took advantage of nine Alabama walks to put runners on and put the pressure on the Crimson Tide pitchers. Auburn left 12 runners on base, including three in the top of the seventh inning with an opportunity to take the lead.
Auburn struck first in the first inning on a 2-RBI single by Alyssa Rivera, who led the Tigers at the plate with two hits. Alabama answered in the bottom of the inning on a 2-out, 2-run homerun by Bailey Hemphill.
The pitchers then settled down as Auburn's Kaylee Carlson and Alabama's Alexis Osorio exchanged three scoreless innings of work leading to the fifth inning. Casey McCrackin gave the Tigers the lead on a 2-run homerun to center field, and after two walked batters, Alabama pulled Osorio for freshman Madison Preston. Preston escaped the inning without further damage, and in the home half of the inning, Alabama once again answered with a 3-run inning to take a 5-4 lead.
Carlson was lifted in favor of Makayla Martin (15-6) in the fifth. Martin tossed the final two innings allowing just two hits, but two runs, one earned.
After Alabama added an insurance run in the sixth, the Tigers came to bat in the seventh trailing 6-4. A walk and base hit by Rivera forced Alabama to make another pitching change as Osorio was brought back in the game. A passed ball and another walk loaded the bases with two outs for pinch hitter Justus Perry, who struck out swinging to end the game.
Preston was credited with the win to improve to 7-5 on the year while Osorio picked up her fifth save. Martin was charged with the loss for the Tigers.
With the loss, Auburn drops to 40-15, 11-13 in SEC play and will have to wait to see where they will play in the NCAA Regional.