FULLERTON, Calif. – On Friday, Auburn showed why it's one of the top teams in the country as the Tigers took down No. 20 Oregon 8-0 in five innings, then pushed No. 5 Washington to the limit before falling 8-6 in nine innings.
The loss to the Huskies snapped an 11-game winning streak for No. 22 Auburn — it's longest since winning 15 straight to open the 2018 season — but the victory over the Ducks was the first win over a ranked team for Auburn since knocking off then-No. 16 Arkansas 4-2 on April 22, 2018.
Against the Ducks, Casey McCrackin got the scoring start for Auburn (16-3) in the bottom of the third as the senior sent a 3-2 pitch over the centerfielder's head to plate Morgan Podany and Taylon Snow. The Tigers added three more in the fourth on a Justus Perry double, Brittany Marasette single and a passed ball.
The game ended in the fifth after Alyssa Rivera led off the inning with a solo home run, which proceeded a bases-loaded walk to Podany and a Marasette game-ending single to right field.
Makayla Martin (8-2) continued her brilliant productivity in her home state as the San Diego native went 5.0 innings, scattered three hits and struck out a season-high nine batters without issuing a walk to any Oregon (11-7) batter.
In Auburn's fourth game in less than 24 hours, Washington (15-1) struck first with a run-scoring single in the top of the second, before extending its lead to three runs on a two-run double in the third.
Bree Fornis got the Tigers on the scoreboard with a run-scoring triple in the bottom of the fourth, but Washington, again, extended its lead in the fifth with a bases-loaded walk.
However, Rivera inched Auburn closer when she plated McCrackin on a single in the bottom of the fifth. Kendall Veach followed with a walk to set the stage for Tannon Snow's three-run home run to put the Tigers ahead 5-4.
The Huskies tied the game in the top of the seventh of a fielder's choice and Auburn was unable to answer in its half of the seventh, which forced extra innings.
After the two teams scored single runs in the eighth, Washington took the lead for good in the ninth on a run-scoring single, before extending its lead to two on a fielder's choice. Auburn had the game-winning run at the plate with two outs in the bottom half of the ninth, but was unable to score.
Auburn will conclude the Judi Garman Classic with a game againist No. 2 UCLA on Saturday at 9:30 AM PST/ 11:30 AM CST.