AUBURN, Ala. – After South Alabama took an early lead, Auburn softball scored six unanswered runs to take down the Jaguars, 6-3, Wednesday night at Jane B. Moore Field.
South Alabama (20-15) led off the first with a walk and followed with an RBI single up the middle from Gracie Dees and a two-run home run by Virginia Mambelli to build a 3-0 lead, but sophomore Ella Harrison settled in the circle and shut out the Jaguars over the next six innings.
Auburn (23-10) scored six unanswered runs to secure the come-from-behind victory, with five of the six runs coming in the second inning.
“You’re hoping the response was going to happen at some point,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux. “It’s huge to be able to do that early in the game after that first inning. We were being patient and moving the ball around, but sometimes that’s what it takes. Kudos to the team for staying at it and take what South Alabama was giving us. Glad we were able to capitalize on that.”
After giving up three early runs, Harrison (10-4) stifled the South Alabama offense. She allowed just two hits and one walk across six scoreless innings to record the complete game. She finished with 10 strikeouts.
“Ella probably had a little rust,” Malveaux added. “That’s the bad side of the BYE weekend, but it is also why we wanted her to be able to throw this game. It was huge for her to settle into the game after that first inning. She found command of her stuff and just went for it.”
Auburn responded quickly to take control after the shaky first inning. The Tigers loaded the bases with free passes in the bottom of the second before freshman Ava Ratliff singled to left field to drive in two runs and cut the deficit to one.
Junior Alyssa Hastings put the Tigers in front with a single to left-center, driving in a pair of runs. Sophomore AnnaLea Adams capped the five-run frame with a two-out RBI single.
The Tiger offense added an insurance run in the sixth inning. With Ratliff aboard via a single, sophomore Kylie Shaw doubled to right field.
South Alabama’s throw to second bounced in the dirt, allowing Shaw to advance to third, but the Jaguars recovered to record an out at the plate and keep the score at 5-3. Hastings followed with a two-out infield single to bring Shaw home.
Hastings finished 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead the team. Ratliff also recorded a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
GAME NOTES
- Auburn is 18-1 this season when scoring at least six runs. That mark improves to 42-3 all-time in the Malveaux era.
- The Tigers are 12-2 against in-state opponents under Chris and Kate Malveaux.
- Kylie Shaw’s sixth-inning double was her seventh of the season.
- Alyssa Hastings recorded two hits for her seventh multi-hit game of the season, bringing her career total to 38. She set a season high with three RBI. It was her fifth multi-RBI game of the season and the 20th of her career.
- Ava Ratliff recorded the third multi-hit and third multi-RBI game of her freshman season.
- Ella Harrison earned her 10th win of the season and now holds a 22-22 career record. It was her eighth complete game of the season and the 26th of her career. Harrison’s 10 strikeouts marked her third double-digit strikeout performance of the season and the 10th of her career.
UP NEXT
Auburn returns to SEC play as it hosts Missouri for a three-game series at Jane B. Moore Field for MalveauxMania II. The series will feature a weekend-long sumo wrestling tournament with the winning fraternity taking home a WWE/Auburn championship belt.
The series opener is set for 6 p.m. CT and will air on SEC Network+. Fans can listen locally on WEGL 91.1 FM or stream the broadcast on the Auburn Tigers website and mobile app. Fans will receive MalveauxMania T-shirts while supplies last.