Auburn softball stuns Aggies, advances to SEC Tournament quarterfinals

Behind five home runs and timely two-out offense, (14) Auburn softball slugged past (6) Texas A&M, 11-8, on Wednesday at John Cropp Stadium to advance to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

Auburn softball stuns Aggies, advances to SEC Tournament quarterfinalsAuburn softball stuns Aggies, advances to SEC Tournament quarterfinals
Eddie Justice
Box Score

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Behind five home runs and timely two-out offense, (14) Auburn softball slugged past (6) Texas A&M, 11-8, on Wednesday at John Cropp Stadium to advance to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

After the Tigers built a five-run lead, Texas A&M (36-17) answered with five runs across the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game at 8-8. Freshman Ava Ratliff came through in the top of the seventh with a two-out, three-run home run to put Auburn back in front for good.

“We talked about it being a new season going into this week,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux. “It’s truly been that. This is the team we’ve been waiting to see for a while. It’s so fun as a coach to be able to sit and watch. That game was wild. Texas A&M is a very difficult team to play against. They have so many different weapons throughout their lineup and a diverse pitching staff. It’s mentally taxing. Our team did a great job of controlling what we can control, getting what we want and being aggressive with it. We’re playing free and staying in attack mode. I’m proud of this team and proud of the fight. What you’re watching is truly what this team is made of.”

Nine of Auburn’s 11 runs were scored with two outs. The Tigers set the program’s SEC Tournament single-game records for runs scored and home runs (5). Five different Tigers accounted for a home run in the contest.

Auburn (27-27) tallied 10 total hits and homered in the first three innings to build its five-run lead. Ratliff recorded the lone multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Only four of Texas A&M’s runs were earned as the Aggies capitalized on a dropped third strike and an Auburn error.

Freshman Charley Butler (2-0) earned her second consecutive victory after entering in relief in the fifth. After earning the start, sophomore Ella Harrison re-entered in the seventh to record the save. Harrison allowed just one earned run over 5.1 innings while striking out six Aggies in a strong starting effort.

Senior McKaela Walker provided early offense with a two-out solo home run to left in the first inning, but the Aggies responded with three unearned runs in the bottom half. A dropped third strike on a passed ball opened the door. A walk and a pair of doubles followed to give Texas A&M a 3-1 lead.

Auburn answered in the second as junior Ma’Nia Womack led off with a solo home run off the scoreboard. After a walk, freshman Daigle Wilson kept the inning alive and turned over the lineup with a two-out single to right field.

Sophomore Kylie Shaw cleared the bases with her second triple of the tournament to give Auburn a 4-3 lead. Junior Alyssa Hastings followed with a two-out RBI single up the middle for an insurance run.

The two-out momentum continued in the third. After a walk, freshman Haven Roebuck launched her second home run of the tournament to extend the lead to 7-3. Sophomore AnnaLea Adams added a solo home run in the fifth.

Texas A&M rallied with a two-run home run from Mya Perez in the fifth and a solo shot from Paislie Allen in the sixth to cut the deficit to 8-6. The Aggies followed Allen’s home run by loading the bases with three consecutive singles. Butler induced a pop-up from Perez for the second out, but a shallow single just out of reach from a diving Womack plated two runs to tie the game.

Adams opened the seventh with a walk before being replaced by pinch runner Georgia Lessman. After a sacrifice bunt, senior Destiny Rodriguez singled to center to put runners on the corners. Ratliff then delivered her decisive three-run homer after an eight-pitch at-bat.

Harrison closed the door in the seventh, retiring three of the four batters she faced. She allowed a two-out single before inducing a flyout to left to send Auburn to the quarterfinals.

GAME NOTES

  • Auburn is making its first SEC Tournament quarterfinal appearance since 2023. Wednesday’s win marked the program’s first back-to-back SEC Tournament victories since 2019.
  • Auburn improved to 24-29 all-time at the SEC Tournament and 2-1 during the Malveaux tenure.
  • Auburn is now 22-2 this season when scoring at least six runs. In the Malveaux era, the Tigers are 46-4 when scoring six or more.
  • Wednesday marked Auburn’s 18th game this season with multiple home runs. The Tigers are 13-5 in those games.
  • Auburn’s five home runs set a program SEC Tournament single-game record. The previous mark was two, last achieved May 8, 2014 vs. Alabama.
  • Auburn’s 11 runs are the most scored by the Tigers in an SEC Tournament game, surpassing the previous record of eight (last vs. Ole Miss on May 11, 2023).
  • McKaela Walker hit her 12th home run of the season and 14th of her career.
  • Ma’Nia Womack hit her team-leading 14th home run and now has 16 career homers.
  • Kylie Shaw recorded her third triple of the season and second of the tournament, along with her first career multi-RBI game. She has reached base in eight straight games and in 50 of 54 games this season.
  • Haven Roebuck hit her ninth home run and recorded her eighth multi-RBI game of the season.
  • AnnaLea Adams hit her seventh home run, bringing her career total to 17.
  • Ava Ratliff recorded her fourth multi-hit game, going 2-for-4. Her home run was her third of the season, and she now has six multi-RBI games.
  • Ella Harrison earned her second career save with a scoreless seventh inning.

UP NEXT

With the win, Auburn advances to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals to face (3) Florida. First pitch is set for 10 a.m. CT on SEC Network. Brit Bowen and JJ Jackson will have radio coverage on WEGL 91.1 FM. Fans can also listen via the Auburn Tigers website and mobile app or stream the booth cam on the Auburn Softball Facebook page.