AUBURN, Ala. – No. 19 Auburn struggled to get its offense going in its series finale against No. 7 Florida as the Tigers scored only one run on two hits in a 6-1 loss on Sunday afternoon.
"As a coach, you try to put everything into a perspective," said Auburn head coach Mickey Dean. "When I look at the (score)board and the numbers, they scored six runs and five of the people that we walked scored."
Florida (39-12, 11-10) struck first with a one-out grand slam by Jordan Roberts in the top of the first inning after Lexie Handley (6-3) walked three of the four batters she faced in the inning. Ashlee Swindle was summoned out of the bullpen and allowed only two more runs over the game's remaining 6.2 innings.
Tannon Snow answered Roberts' home run in the Auburn (35-15, 10-11) half of the first with a two-out solo home run over the left-field fence. However, she was the Tigers' last base runner until Bree Fornis and Morgan Podany were both hit by a Kelly Barnhill pitch to start the third inning.
Unfortunately, both Fornis and Podany were left on base as Auburn's top portion of the lineup was unable to bring them home.
After Kelly Barnhill (27-9) struck out six batters in a row during the fourth and fifth innings, Alyssa Rivera was hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom of the sixth. But a double play erased her and ended the inning.
Casey McCrackin, one of five seniors honored following the game, recorded Auburn's second hit of the game when she reached first on a bunt attempt with one out in the bottom of the seventh. However, back-to-back fly-ball outs ended the game and left McCrackin on base.
Auburn will return to action later in the week when the Tigers travel to Fayetteville, Ark., for a three-game series with Arkansas, which starts on Friday, May 3 at 6 p.m.