AUBURN, Ala. –No. 17 Auburn (38-16, 14-9 SEC) softball put the winning run on base in the bottom of the ninth, but came up short as Mississippi State (28-23, 7-5 SEC) held on for a 5-4 win to even the series Saturday at Jane B. Moore Field.
"We fought," said head coach Mickey Dean. "We have to put ourselves in better defensive positions and clean things up on defense on Sunday. It's little things, but defense is who we are. We need to return to that."
Rose Roach led the Tigers at the plate as she drove in two runs with a single and a sacrifice fly. Sydney Cox, Lindsey Garcia, Aspyn Godwin and Denver Bryant each scattered hits in the nine-inning affair.
Excellent in relief of Shelby Lowe, Annabelle Widra suffered the loss to fall to 8-5. Widra allowed just the one run and scattered three hits in her four innings of work while striking out two. Lowe tossed five innings in the start and struck out four.
A Bulldog single to leadoff off the top of the second inning turned into the first run of the game. Lowe responded with a pair of strikeouts, but a two-out single to right field scored the run as Icess Tresvik's throw to the plate was just a smidge late.
The Tigers responded in the home half with clutch two-out hitting from Roach. With a pair on after a walk to Bryant and a singe from Godwin, Roach lined a single to center field to plate a run. An error in the outfield allowed Godwin to score to put the Tigers up 2-1.
Mississippi State regained a lead in the top of the fourth with a two-run home run, but Lowe answered with three straight outs to keep it a one-run game. The Tigers answered right back once again, taking advantage of a pair Bulldogs errors and a walk to load the bases with one out. Roach came through with a sacrifice fly to center to lock the game at 3-3.
The speed of Abbey Smith came in handy in the bottom of the fifth. Smith entered the game to pinch run for Garcia, who reached on a leadoff single. Smith worked her way to third before scoring on a muffed throw on cutoff attempt at second base.
Loading the bases with a pair of singles and a walk to lead off the sixth inning, Auburn was forced to make a pitching change. The first batter Widra faced knocked a single to left to plate the tying run. Widra answered with three straight outs to keep the game locked and ultimately force extra inning.
The game was decided in the top of the ninth as Mississippi State used small ball to put two in scoring position. A single up the middle just out of the reach of a diving Roach put the Bulldogs ahead 5-4. Auburn put the winning run on base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Mississippi State held on to even the series.
The series is on the line Sunday with first pitch set for 11 a.m. CT on the SEC Network. Auburn will honor its graduating seniors Lindsey Garcia, Carlee McCondichie, Aspyn Godwin and Maia Engelkes in a pregame ceremony.