CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – During the third day of competition at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Auburn softball’s comeback bid fell short to No. 21 Washington, but the Tigers responded with a win over Cal State Fullerton to split Saturday’s action at the Big League Dreams Complex.
“When you look at big picture, it was important for us to get that win in the second game,” said co-head coach Chris Malveux. “Both teams we played are really good. With the way Fullerton has played this weekend, they may be in the top 25 next week. It was a big RPI win in the end. Our pitchers gave us a chance to win both games. Ella (Harrison) threw a gem and showed out. Defensively, I felt like we played well, but I did not like the way we competed at the plate. It was very disappointing. We weren’t adjusting throughout the games. We did some uncharacteristic things at the plate. It is going to be big to turn the page and bring it tomorrow.”
Auburn’s offense came alive in the late innings, bringing the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but Washington (9-4) held on for the 5-2 victory. The Tigers (12-4) came out victorious in a pitching duel with Cal State Fullerton (6-9). Sophomore Ella Harrison kept the Titans off the board until the seventh inning, but her performance was enough as Auburn edged out a 2-1 win.
WASHINGTON 5, AUBURN 2
Washington had traffic on base throughout the contest with a Husky reaching scoring position in each of the first five innings.
Starting pitcher SJ Geurin and the Auburn defense were able to shut down the scoring threats throughout most of the early going, even using a diving grab in right field from McKaela Walker to close out a first-inning threat.
But Washington was able to break through in the second inning, manufacturing two runs with an RBI triple and a sacrifice fly. Giselle Alvarez delivered a three-run home run in the fifth to put the Huskies up 5-0.
Auburn drew three walks through the first five frames but did not produce a base hit until the sixth inning when senior Destiny Rodriguez drove a two-out single to left field. Sophomore Annalea Adams followed with a single to left before a hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Tigers. A flyout ended the scoring threat.
The Tigers got runners aboard in the seventh as freshman Ava Ratliff and junior Alyssa Hastings knocked back-to-back singles. With two outs, junior Ma’Nia Womack pushed across Auburn’s first run as she singled up the middle. A Washington error allowed a second run to score, which brough the tying run to the plate. Washington held on to a line drive in left field to end Auburn’s rally.
Auburn’s offense closed the game with five hits. Womack was credited with the lone RBI in the contest.
Geurin suffered the loss to fall to 2-2. Geurin struck out three in the start. Blayne Godfrey and Abby Herndon saw action in relief. The duo combined for 2.2 scoreless innings and allowed just three hits. Godfrey recorded a strikeout.
GAME NOTES: WASHINGTON
- With her walk in the second inning, Kylie Shaw extended her reached base streak to 15 consecutive games.
- Destiny Rodriguez ended the no-hit bid with a single in the sixth inning. She has recorded at least one hit in 12 of Auburn’s 15 games.
- With a single in the seventh inning, Alyssa Hastings extended her hit streak to seven consecutive games.
- SJ Geurin has struck out at least three batters in four of her six appearances this season.
AUBURN 2, CAL STATE FULLERTON 1
It was a pitchers’ duel through the first three innings as Auburn’s Ella Harrison and Cal State Fullerton’s Trisha McCleskey combined to allow just one hit and three walks.
Auburn broke through in the fourth inning with its first hit of the contest, a leadoff single from sophomore Kylie Shaw. After stealing second, Shaw came around to score on a single to center field off the bat of Rodriguez.
The Tigers loaded the bases up on the fifth with two walks and a Hastings single but could not add to their lead. Rodriguez delivered an insurance run in the sixth as she led off the frame with a solo homer. She finished the game 2-for-3, driving in both of Auburn’s runs.
Only recording four strikeouts in the contest, Harrison relied heavily on her defense throughout the game. Through the first six innings, the right-hander worked around three walks and two singles to keep the Titans scoreless.
Ava Arce led off the top of the seventh with a solo home run to make it a one-run ball game, but Harrison (7-1) answered with three straight outs, including back-to-back strikeouts, to secure the win.
GAME NOTES: CAL STATE FULLERTON
- Kylie Shaw singled in the bottom of the fourth to extend her reached base streak to 16 consecutive games. Shaw has recorded at least one hit in 13 of Auburn’s 16 contests.
- Destiny Rodriguez added a single in the fourth inning. She has also now recorded at least one hit in 13 of Auburn’s 16 games.
- Rodriguez added her fifth home run of the season in the sixth inning, matching her previous season high set in 2024. She now has 10 career home runs to her credit.
- The contest marked Rodriguez’s 10th multi-hit game of the season and the 23rd of her career. It was also her sixth multi-RBI game of the season, bringing her career total to 10.
- Alyssa Hastings singled in the bottom of the fifth to extend her hit streak to eight straight games.
- Ella Harrison earned her seventh win of the season, upping her career total to 19 wins. It was her fourth complete-game effort as a Tiger and the 22nd of her career.
UP NEXT
Auburn concludes the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Sunday as the Tigers take on California at 11 a.m. CT. The contest is available to stream on FloSoftball. A paid subscription is required. Fans can hear JJ Jackson’s radio call on WEGL 91.1 FM or by streaming through the Auburn Tigers website and mobile app.
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.