AUBURN, Ala. – A fifth-inning home run by Alyssa Rivera gave Auburn a one-run lead that the Tigers ballooned the following inning en route to a 9-5 win over Georgia in the series finale on Sunday afternoon.
The win moves No. 14 Auburn to 30-7 on the season a 6-3 in the Southeastern Conference, while No. 18 Georgia drops to 28-10, 3-6.
"The message after the game was to get back to who we are," said Auburn head coach Mickey Dean. "We put up nine runs and hit a solo shot, but that's just not who we are. We'll take them when they come, but that's not who we are."
Auburn took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Justus Perry drove in Rivera to cap three straight hits by the Tigers. Georgia answered in the third with a two-out single back up the middle, before Brittany Maresette, who hit an inside-the-park home run on Saturday night, drove in Tannon Snow from second on a one-out double.
The 2-1 Tiger lead stood until Lacey Fincher hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game. Rivera's home run led off the bottom half of the frame. Auburn added another run when Maresette scored from third on an infield single by Morgan Podany.
The following inning, Auburn exploded for five runs on three hits and two Bulldog errors after sending 10 batters to the plate. Podany's three-run triple was the big blow in the inning after Aspyn Godwin drew a pinch-hit, bases-loaded walk to score a run.
"I wish they'd announce that the basketball team was going to the Final Four in the sixth inning of every game," Dean said. "Because, man, we really turned it on there."
Georgia attempted to make a late-game rally in its half of the seventh inning, but Ashlee Swindle (8-3) shut the door on her complete-game performance.
Next up for Auburn is a road trip to Knoxville, Tenn., to face the Volunteers for a three-game series that starts Saturday, April 6 at 1 p.m.