GAINESVILLE, Fla. –Sophomore Nelia Peralta turned in a multi-home run performance in her return to her home state, but it wasn't enough for No. 19 Auburn softball (28-12, 6-5 SEC) as the Tigers fell 6-3 to drop the series to No. 15 Florida (28-8, 6-5 SEC) Friday at Katie Seashole Pressly Staduim.
"We weren't pretty, but we battled," said head coach Mickey Dean. "We played hard. Our defense played remarkable. We struggled in the circle. We had some opportunities on offense. That's all you can ask. Did we have an opportunity to win the game late? Yes, but we didn't. We're going to play tomorrow just like it is a championship game. I told the team that it doesn't matter about these two games. There's nothing that you can do about them now, but if you keep battling like you have been, you're going to like the results of tomorrow."
Peralta went 2-for-3 at the plate, driving in all three of Auburn's runs with her sixth and seventh home runs of the season. It was her second multi-home run game of her career and the first by a Tiger in 2023. Peralta added a walk for her team-leading 31st free pass of the season.
"She's in the leadoff spot for a reason," Dean said of Peralta. "She's a student of the game. She's not the type of hitter that an opponent can throw the same pitcher to on back-to- back days. She as well as several of our hitters made great adjustments."
The Tigers totaled seven hits Friday with Auburn seeing production off the bench with pinch-hit singles from both Rose Roach and Millie Roberts.
A double to lead off the home half of the first proved to be trouble as a sacrifice bunt and single through the right side plated an early Gator run. Florida used a walk and a third hit of the inning to load the bases with two outs, but Makayla Packer limited the scoring by securing a fly ball in center.
Auburn put base runners on in the first two innings but didn't come through until the third as Peralta led off with a solo homer to lock the game at 1-1. The Gators responded in the bottom of the inning with a two-run blast to regain the lead.
The Gators added three runs on two hits in the fourth, but Auburn continued to battle as Peralta went yard for the second time in the game to cut the lead to 6-3 through five innings of play.
Auburn's relief duo of Emmah Rolfe and Shelby Lowe retired nine straight Gators to close the game and give the Tigers a chance in the late innings. Auburn knocked singles in sixth and seventh innings but were kept scoreless as the Gators clinched the series. Annabelle Widra (8-3) was tagged with the loss.
"Our pitchers had a bad inning each," Dean added. "Then they believed in themselves a little more and attacked the hitters. Where we got ourselves in trouble in those two innings is we threw a lot of pitches and continued to get behind on great hitters. When you walk somebody that you want to attack or then you have to attack someone from behind that is a really good hitter, that's how you get yourself in big trouble. That was a big learning spot for our younger pitchers."
The Tigers look to rebound in Saturday's series finale. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. CT. Saturday's contest will air on the SEC Network.
