CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Facing a pair of top 25 foes to open the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Auburn softball (10-3) stunned No. 14 Oregon (5-5) before falling to No. 9 UCLA (8-4) Thursday at the Big League Dreams Complex.
“Even with the way the last game went, we were still 1-1 today against two good teams,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux. “We’re reminded again that we need to make sure we’re competing in all three areas of the game. We give ourselves a chance to win when we do that. If any area isn’t firing, it’s really going to hurt us.”
Auburn struck with a three-run homer from AnnaLea Adams in the first inning and didn’t let off the gas as the Tigers slugged their way to a 10-5 win over No. 14 Oregon. Adams closed the contest with a career high six RBI.
Might want to start taking a closer look at those Tigers 😎#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/ZAnoG0eY1B
— Auburn Softball (@AuburnSoftball) February 19, 2026
The Tigers and UCLA both had to battle the elements in Thursday’s finale as rain rolled into Cathedral City. Auburn had trouble establishing its offense against UCLA’s pitching staff, recording just five hits. The Tigers ultimately fell to No. 9 UCLA 23-1 in five innings.
AUBURN 10, OREGON 5
Auburn delivered the first punch with a three-run blast to right field from Adams in the top of the first. Oregon answered with a first-inning home run of its own as Amari Harper connected for a two-run shot. SJ Geurin settled in after the hit to retire the next three Ducks in order.
The Tigers continued to keep traffic on the bases for the top of the order in the second inning. Ma’Nia Womack delivered the big blow of the frame with a three-run homer to left field, building the Tiger lead back up to 6-3.
A defensive miscue by the Tigers in the bottom of the inning allowed two unearned runs to score, but Auburn continued to keep slugging at the dish as McKaela Walker led off the third with a solo home run.
Auburn’s offense put runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but couldn’t build on its lead. The Tiger pitching staff did its job to keep Oregon at bay in the middle frames. Geurin and Ella Harrison, who entered the game in relief in the fourth, settled in and silenced the Ducks scoring to leave four stranded.
Auburn’s pitching staff would not give up another run until a sacrifice fly in the sixth. The run cut the lead to 7-5, but Harrison got out the late-inning jam with minimal damage.
The Tigers loaded the bases in the seventh inning, and it was Adams that came through with the clutch insurance hit. She drove in three with a double to right center. Oregon got one runner on in the bottom of the inning, but Kylie Shaw called game with a diving grab in left to secure the win.
Adams closed the contest 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and six RBI. Womack finished 2-for-4 with three RBI off her home run. She also reached on a hit by pitch and scored two runs. Alyssa Hastings went 3-for-4 with two doubles. Shaw drew four walks in her five plate appearances and scored twice.
Geurin tossed 3.2 innings in the start. Only two of her four runs allowed were earned. She scattered seven hits in the contest while issuing no walks. She struck out two in the outing.
Harrison tossed the final 3.1 innings to earn the victory in relief, improving to 5-0. She was tagged for just one hit and gave up one run. She worked around a pair of walks and tallied two strikeouts.
UCLA 23, AUBURN 1
After a scoreless first frame, UCLA got on board in the second with help of three hits. Ramsey Suarez knocked the big hit with a two-run triple before coming around to score on a single later in the inning.
The Bruins added 18 runs in the third with help of 10 hits, including seven for extra bases, and two Auburn errors. UCLA added two runs in the fourth inning off its third home run of the game.
Auburn’s offense was held to a pair of singles from Rodriguez and Hastings and a triple from Walker through the first six innings. The Tigers added two hits in the seventh, but it was freshman Delaney Aumua’s pinch-hit home run that broke up the shutout bid.
The Tigers used four pitchers in the circle. Earning the start, Harrison suffered her first loss of the season as she fell to 5-1. Abby Herndon, Malayna Tamborra and Charley Butler all made relief appearances in the contest. Herndon and Butler each recorded one strikeout.
GAME NOTES: OREGON
- With three home runs in the contest, Auburn has recorded multiple home runs in seven of its 12 games this season.
- With a walk in the first inning, Kylie Shaw extended her reached base streak to 12 consecutive games. Shaw recorded four walks in the contest and is the first Tiger to draw four walks in a game since Bri Ellis at South Carolina on March 20, 2023.
- Destiny Rodirguez knocked a single in the first inning to extend her hit streak to nine straight games. Rodriguez added her third double of the season in the second inning to up her career total to 11. It’s the third straight season she has slugged at least three doubles.
- With her two hits, Rodriguez tallied her team-leading ninth multi-hit game of the season to bring her career total to 22.
- AnnaLea Adams slugged her fourth home run of the season and her 14th in an Auburn uniform. Adams added a single in the sixth inning for her fourth multi-hit game of the season, bringing her career total to 18.
- Adams drove in three runs on a double in the seventh inning. It was her fifth double of the season and the 14th of her career. It brought her RBI total to six, which sets a career high for the sophomore. She’s the first Tiger with six or more RBI in a game since Anna Wohlers versus South Alabama on March 19, 2025. It was her fourth multi-RBI game of the season and the 18th of her career.
- Ma’Nia Womack’s second inning home run was her second of the season and the fourth of her career. It marks the first time Womack has slugged multiple home runs in a season. Womack set a career high with three RBI in the game. It was her second multi-RBI game of the season and the fourth of her career.
- With a single in the seventh inning, Womack added her third multi-hit game of the season and her fourth of her career.
- McKaela Walker’s third inning home run was her third of the season and the fifth of her collegiate career.
- Alyssa Hastings extended her hit streak to four games and matched her season high with three hits. She totaled two doubles for the third time in her career. She last recorded two doubles in a game on April 1, 2025. It was her fifth multi-hit game of the season and the 35th of her career. Hastings now has four doubles on the season and 29 in her career.
- Ella Harrison earned her second victory versus a ranked opponent as she was also credited the win in Auburn’s upset of No. 9 Clemson. With the win in relief, she improves to 5-0 this season. It was her 17th career victory.
GAME NOTES: UCLA
- Destiny Rodriguez singled in the first inning to extend her hit streak to a career high of 10 consecutive games.
- Alyssa Hastings’ single in the second inning extended her hit streak to five consecutive games.
- Drawing a walk in the second inning, Kylie Shaw has now reached base safely in all 13 contests this season.
- McKaela Walker knocked her first triple of the season and the second of her career. It was her first triple since May 19, 2023.
- Playing in her home state, Delaney Aumua’s pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning was the first of her career.
- Kylie Shaw added a single in the seventh inning. She has now recorded at least one hit in 10 of Auburn’s 13 games.
UP NEXT
It will be “Auburn Softball After Dark” on Friday as the Tigers continue their slate at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a 10 p.m. CT contest versus BYU. FloSoftball will have streaming coverage while JJ Jackson provides the radio call for the Auburn Sports Network/ WEGL 91.1 FM.
BACK AT HOME
Auburn returns to Jane B. Moore Field to host the Jane B. Moore Memorial on Feb. 26 to March 1. Troy, No. 17 Virginia Tech and USC Upstate complete the tournament field. The Tigers are slated to compete in six games over four days. Auburn will celebrate Aubie’s birthday on Feb. 28 with a pregame party for Aubie’s Kids Club members. Sunday will feature “Softballs from the Sky” as a helicopter will drop foam softballs on the field for kids ages four to 15.