AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn softball manufactured offense behind an Alyssa Hastings home run, but No. 1 Alabama clinched the series finale Sunday, 9-1, in six innings at Jane B. Moore Field.
Hastings’ solo home run in the fourth inning cut Alabama’s lead to 3-1, but the Crimson Tide (39-3, 12-3 SEC) scored four runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to end the game early.
“Today makes our first two games an even tougher pill to swallow,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux. “We gave ourselves a chance to win in the circle those first two games, knowing what Alabama’s lineup is capable of doing. It’s hard to expect your pitchers to shut down an offense like that the entire weekend.
“We have no choice right now but to continue to try to figure this out and push through. If we knew why we were stuck in this, we would have fixed the problem already. We had some bright spots like (Alyssa) Hastings, but the internal battles right now are taking the sharpness away. We’ve got to get to the point where we can allow ourselves to be successful again."
Alabama took advantage of a pair of walks in the first inning to manufacture its first run, following the free passes with a bunt and a sacrifice fly to score. The Crimson Tide added back-to-back solo home runs in the third to build a 3-0 lead.
Hastings’ solo shot in the fourth inning marked Auburn’s first hit of the contest, trimming the deficit to two runs. Auburn added a two-out single from freshman Haven Roebuck in the frame while sophomore Kylie Shaw delivered the Tigers’ final hit with a double in the sixth.
Alabama added four runs in the fifth with the help of three hits, including its third home run of the game, along with four walks in the frame. Back-to-back doubles and a sacrifice fly in the sixth extended the lead to 9-1.
The Tigers used five different pitchers in the contest. Junior Ella Harrison suffered the loss, falling to 10-9 on the season.
GAME NOTES
- Alyssa Hastings’ solo home run in the fourth inning was her fifth of the season and the13th home run of her collegiate career.
- Hastings’ home run was Auburn’s 51st of the season, which ties the 2017 team for the ninth most hit in a single season at Auburn.
- Kylie Shaw doubled in the sixth to extend her reached base streak to 15 consecutive games. She has reached safely in 41 of 42 contests this season.
UP NEXT
Southeastern Conference play continues next weekend as the Tigers travel to No. 6 Florida for a three-game series in Gainesville. The series begins Friday at 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. Fans can listen locally on WEGL 91.1 FM or stream the broadcast on the Auburn Tigers website and mobile app.