10-MALVEAUX: Tigers defeat Charlotte, No. 9 OSU to remain unbeaten

10-MALVEAUX: Tigers defeat Charlotte, No. 9 OSU to remain unbeaten10-MALVEAUX: Tigers defeat Charlotte, No. 9 OSU to remain unbeaten
  • Game 1
  • Game 2
Box Score

CLEARWATER, Fla. – A pair of come-from-behind victories over Charlotte and No. 9 Oklahoma State Saturday at the Eddie C. Moore Complex propelled Auburn softball to its best start since 2018 as the Tigers remained undefeated to start the Malveaux era. 

“I can’t put it into words right now,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux. “It’s early in the season. It’s been a gauntlet this week. You’re just putting your head down and going game to game and one play at a time. We’re just really proud of them. They’ve been competing. They’ve been fun to be on the field with. They don’t dive up or back down. It’s been a blast” 

Remaining unbeaten at the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational Presented by Evoshield, Auburn improved to 10-0 on the season. The 2018 team reeled off 15 consecutive wins before suffering its first loss.

 

 

Auburn faced a 6-2 deficit after the first inning versus the 49ers (2-6), but the Tigers stormed all the way back and came out on top of the slugfest with a 14-11 win. The Tigers also trailed against No. 9 Oklahoma State (4-4), but senior Abbey Smith was the big hero as she scored both runs to secure the 2-1 upset win.

Smith closed Saturday 4-for-6 at the plate with four runs scored. Her first collegiate home run was the difference in Auburn’s 2-1 win over the Cowgirls.

Anna Wohlers recorded three hits with a double, two runs scored and two RBI on Saturday. She also recorded the 100th run scored of her collegiate career Saturday. Icess Tresvik added three hits with a pair of home runs. She tallied three RBI and scored four times. Skylar Elkins added four RBI with her first career grand slam.

SJ Geurin continued her dominance in the circle, picking up both wins to improve to 6-0. She did not allow a run to score in her five innings of work. She held opponents to four hits and two walks while striking out two.

AUBURN 14, CHARLOTTE 11

The Tigers opened Saturday with Tresvik’s first home run of the game. KK McCrary got on board with a walk and worked her way to third before scoring on a wild pitch to give Auburn a 2-0 lead. Errors plagued Auburn in the bottom of the inning allowing Charlotte to score six runs. 

The Tigers clawed back in second inning with a two-run Tresvik blast, which cut the lead to 6-4. Charlotte and Amelia Lech traded sacrifice flies to make it a 7-5 game after three innings. 

Auburn loaded the bases in the top of the fourth with two infield singles and a walk. Wohlers drew a bases-loaded walk to plate a run before Elkins delivered a grand slam, her second home run of the weekend, to give Auburn a 10-7 lead. Lech pushed the lead to 11-7 in the top of the sixth with an infield RBI single.

Charlotte would not go away easily, scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game 11-11.

The Tigers set the table in the top of the seventh with a Smith single and a Tresvik walk. Wohlers delivered the ground-rule double to drive in the go-ahead run. McCrary singled through the left side to pad the lead to 14-11. 

The Tigers used four pitchers in the contest. Icess Tresvik made her first appearance in the circle since 2023. She tossed two innings and allowed just one run off three hits and a walk. Geurin earned the win in relief. She tossed 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and one walk with one strikeout.  

SJ Geurin continued her dominance in the circle, picking up both wins to improve to 6-0. She did not allow a run to score in her five innings of work. She held opponents to four hits and two walks while striking out two.

Highlights: Charlotte

AUBURN 2, OKLAHOMA STATE 1

The Cowgirls got out to a hot start with a single to third base and moved the runner to third with a stolen base and wild pitch. A second wild pitch in the contest brought in the run as the tag at the plate was not in time. Kylie Brockman did make a run-saving tag later in the inning to keep it a 1-0 game.

Auburn tied the game in the top of the third. Smith and Nelia Peralta drew a pair of walks. A Wohlers walk moved Smith to third. Smith decided to dart to the plate and beat the tag to lock the game up.

Smith would be the hero again in the fifth as the senior delivered the first home run of her career as she slapped a fly ball to center to beat the shift and give Auburn a 2-1 lead. 

After giving up the run in the first, Rainey and Geurin shut out the Cowgirls in the final six innings. The duo stranded nine total base runners in the win. 

Rainey earned the start and went 3.2 innings. She was charged with the lone run and worked around four hits and three walks. She struck out three. Geurin went 3.1 scoreless innings. She gave up three hits and walk with one strikeout, earning the win in relief.

Highlights: Oklahoma State

UP NEXT

Auburn faces Liberty at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday in its final contest in Clearwater. The contest is available on ESPN+.