AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn softball had an early lead over No. 18 Georgia, but the Bulldogs scored six runs over the last two innings to even the series with a 10-5 win Saturday at Jane B. Moore Field.
“We gave them extra opportunities to score,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux. “They took advantage of it. On the flipside, it felt like they were giving us opportunities as well, especially in the late innings, but we couldn’t capitalize with the right part of our lineup at the plate. When you don’t capitalize in those situations, that’s the way the game can end up against a team like that.”
At the plate, the Tigers totaled seven hits on Saturday with Icess Tresvik and Rose Roach both slugging home runs. Tresvik drove in three of Auburn’s five runs with her two-run blast and a sacrifice fly.
It was a staff game in the circle for Auburn as four different pitchers saw action. Malayna Tamborra had one of her longest relief appearances of the season as she tossed 3.1 innings for the Tigers. SJ Geurin suffered the loss to fall to 17-8 on the year. The Tigers issued eight free passes in the contest.
“We got to have a different attack mindset to work through batters and not give away free bases,” Malveaux added. “That’s one of the main things that bit us. They are going to get their hits, but if you don’t put people on in front of them it’s less of a punch.”
The Bulldogs used a pair of walks and a single to load the bases with one out in the first. An RBI single from Sarah Gordon put Georgia in front. Tamborra entered the bases-loaded situation and forced back-to-back outs to leave the bags loaded. Tresvik put the Tigers in front in the home half of the frame with a two-run blast to right field.
Georgia was able to capitalize on an Auburn error to lead off the third ran to manufacture an unearned run and cut the lead to one. Auburn returned the favor in the bottom of the third. With Abbey Smith on board with an error, AnnaLea Adams drove a hot shot to third to dive in run. Tresvik made in a 4-2 Auburn lead with her sacrifice fly.
A four-hit fourth frame pushed two runs across for Georgia to lock the game up at 4-4, but Roach’s third home run of the series put Auburn in front 5-4 heading into the fifth inning.
Georgia plated three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to build its 10-5 lead. The Bulldogs used six hits, including three that went for extra bases, to do the damage.
Auburn had traffic on the bases in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to chip into the Georgia lead, but ultimately left seven Tigers on base down the stretch.
UP NEXT
The series is on the line in Sunday’s rubber game. First pitch on the SEC Network+ is set for 1 p.m. CT.