FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Trailing by four runs, No. 16 Auburn softball (40-16) completed its largest come-from-behind victory in SEC Softball Tournament history as the three-seeded Tigers knocked off eleventh-seeded Ole Miss 8-7 Thursday at Bogle Park to advance into Friday's semifinals.
"It's easy to win the pretty games," said head coach Mickey Dean. "It's difficult to win the ugly games. We had to continue to fight back all game long. Being able to answer right back after they scored six runs in the third inning was a huge key to the game. Annabelle (Widra) came into the game and gave up only one earned run. Those two things put our defense and hitters into a position to win that game."
The Tigers used three-run fifth inning to complete the comeback for its first win in the SEC Tournament since 2019. Icess Tresvik locked the game at 7-7 with a two-run home run to left center before Rose Roach delivered with a bases-loaded single through the right side to drive in the go-ahead run.
"It doesn't matter who is in the circle," Roach said. "It doesn't matter how tired we are. We have each other's backs. We're always going to come back and fight. Maddie (Penta) has our backs when we aren't doing to hot. We'll always have her back."
Dean has now recorded three 40-win seasons as the head coach of the Tigers, including back-to-back, 40-win seasons in 2022 and 2023.
Tresvik went 2-for-3 with a home run a walk, three runs scored and two RBI. Roach and Denver Bryant also turned in a two-hit effort for the Tigers. Tresvik in the first Tiger to hit a home run in the SEC Tournament since Morgan Podany in 2019 and the first Tiger to score three runs in an SEC tournament games since Emily Carosone in 2015.
"We worked too hard to let someone beat us easily," Tresvik said. "We can't dwell on the little things. We have to flush it and keep fighting. We are all big competitors. We hate losing. We've played them before. We knew what to expect. We just had to dig deep mentality and keep fighting."
Lindsey Garcia put Auburn on the board in the first inning, driving in a pair with a single.
In an uncharacteristic start, Maddie Penta was lifted in the third inning after giving up five runs to the Rebels (30-26), but the ace returned to the game for the final innings to grind out her third save of the seaosn with a bases-loading strikeout to seal the deal.
Annabelle Widra kept Auburn in the contest with a stellar relief performance. Widra allowed just one earned run in 2.2 innings of relief and fanned a pair to give Auburn a chance and was rewarded with her ninth win of the season.
Auburn pounced to a first-inning lead with a two-out base knock from Garcia. Nelia Peralta led off the inning with a single before Bri Ellis got on with a one-out walk. Tresvik singled through the left side as the Tigers waved Peralta home, but the relay from left field was in time to hold the game scoreless until Garcia stepped to the plate. The senior cleared the bases with a single up the middle to give Penta some runs to play with.
The Rebels tacked on four runs in the third inning to take the lead and force Auburn to make a change in the circle before capping its six-run inning with a two-run homer.
The Tigers were far from out of the game as Auburn stormed back and capitalized on three Ole Miss errors to cut the lead Ole Miss lead to 6-5, but the Tiger defense returned the favor with a pair of errors in the fourth that manufactured an unearned run for the Rebels.
Ellis led off Auburn's big fifth inning with a walk before Tresvik tied the game with her blast to left center. The Tigers used a pair of walks and a hit by pitch to load the bases with one out before Roach stepped to the plate. Finding a hole in the right side, Roach slapped a single to plate the go-ahead run.
The seventh inning did not come without high stakes as the Rebels used a pair of hits and a walk to load the bases against Penta with one out. Penta responded with a strikeout to pick up the second out of the inning, but the first pitch to Ole Miss batter Savana Sikes was ruled a hit by pitch and allowed the tying run to score.
Upon replay review, the call was overturned, and the game returned to a bases-loaded situation with two outs. Penta pipped in the fastballs and picked up her fourth strikeout of the game to send Auburn to the semis.
The Tigers will face either No. 2 seed Georgia or No. 11 seed South Carolina on Friday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT and is available on ESPN2.