AUBURN, Ala. – A four-run top of the first inning set Auburn back as the Tigers never got over the hump as Georgia took the first game of a three-game series, 7-6, Friday night.
The loss snapped an 18-game home winning streak for the Tigers (29-6, 5-2) and also snapped an eight-game winning streak over the Bulldogs (27-9, 2-5) in the series. It marks the first loss for Auburn at Jane B. Moore Field since losing to Texas Tech, 5-4, on Feb. 16. It's also the first time the Tigers have lost to Georgia since April 19, 2014 when the Bulldogs won 11-2 in five innings. It's the first home loss for Auburn against Georgia since March 17, 2013.
"We need to have a better start in the circle," said Auburn head coach Mickey Dean. "We were down four and bounced back with three, but we have to be better in the circle. I thought our hitters battled and gave ourselves an opportunity to win. I thought we played really good defense."
Georgia struck first when a double by Alyssa DiCarlo scored CJ Landrum from first. A Mahlena O'Neal sacrifice fly to right plated DiCarlo, before Ciara Bryan cleared the bases with a two-run home run.
Auburn responded in the bottom of the first when Kendall Veach launched a three-run home run to score Taylon Snow and Tannon Snow. It was Veach's 16th home run of the season, which is the ninth most in a single season in Tiger history. It was also Veach's 35th career home run, which broke a tie with Elizabeth Eisterhold (2009-12) for eighth all-time in Auburn history.
From there, the Bulldogs extended their lead to 5-3 with a DiCarlo solo home run in the third and back-to-back run-scoring hits in the fifth.
Tan. Snow brought home Casey McCrackin with a groundout in the bottom of the fifth, before Justus Perry hit a solo home run in the sixth. McCrackin struck later in the inning when she doubled home Tay. Snow to cut the Tigers' deficit to one.
However, after Aspyn Godwin reached base with a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh, a fielder's choice ended the game.
The two teams will continue the series Saturday night at 6 p.m. on SEC Network + and the Auburn Sports Network.