LEXINGTON, Ky. – It was a back-and-forth affair that saw four ties and three lead changes, but (14) Auburn softball’s magical SEC Tournament run came to an end Thursday in the quarterfinals as (3) Florida held on for a 10-9 victory at John Cropp Stadium.
Sophomore AnnaLea Adams had a monstrous performance at the plate, finishing 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs and seven RBI. Adams homered in the sixth to give Auburn (27-28) a late lead before the Gators (48-9) scored four runs to take a 10-8 advantage heading into the final inning. Adams homered again in the seventh to cut the lead to one, but the comeback bid fell just short.
“As the game was going, there was never a doubt in our minds that it was going to end like that until the final out,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux. “I’m just really proud of the fight in this team. It was a difficult situation to come into this week. They bought into playing together and having one heartbeat. Watching them play with joy was so much fun as a coach. I know the outside world is going to judge based on where we ended up. From the inside, watching how this team was able to turn around mentally after being in a difficult spot throughout the year, I’m proud of them for climbing out of that hole. It’s difficult to do in life. It’s difficult to do in a season. These players were able to fight in the end. It truly was a full-team fight for three straight games. I just couldn’t be more proud of them and how they left it all out on the line.”
The Tigers continued to put up big numbers, scoring nine runs off 12 hits with a third consecutive multi-home run performance at the SEC Tournament. Sophomore Kylie Shaw and junior Alyssa Hastings both joined Adams with multi-hit efforts.
Auburn’s pitching staff gave the team a chance, but miscues plagued the Tigers as three errors in the contest led to four unearned runs. Sophomore Ella Harrison made her third consecutive start in Lexington and went 2.1 innings before the freshman duo of Abby Herndon (5-6) and Charley Butler closed the game. Harrison and Herndon recorded a pair of strikeouts each in their outings.
After exchanging a scoreless first inning, a pair of solo home runs put both teams on the scoreboard. The Tigers struck first with a blast from Ma’Nia Womack before Florida’s Kendall Grover countered with a solo home run of her own.
The hot-hitting Tigers answered with a three-run third inning to regain the lead. With one out, the top of the order loaded the bases behind a single from Shaw and a pair of free passes. Adams cleared the bases with a double to left center to put Auburn in front 4-1.
But once again, Florida matched Auburn’s offense. The Gators plated one run with a one-out double to right before defensive miscues plagued the Tigers. A passed ball on a walk got away from the plate before an errant throw to third base allowed another run to score. Grover capped the four-run Florida frame with an RBI single down the left field line.
With the same part of the lineup due up in the top of the fourth, Auburn manufactured the tying run. Shaw, Hastings and senior McKaela Walker hit back-to-back-to-back singles, with Walker’s hit through the left side bringing home the tying run. The back-and-forth affair continued in the bottom of the frame as a defensive miscue by the Tigers allowed an unearned run to score and put Florida in front 6-5.
A quiet fifth inning was followed by fireworks on both sides. Hastings led off the sixth with a single up the middle before Walker drew a four-pitch walk. Adams put the Tigers back in front, 8-6, with a three-run blast to straightaway center.
The Gators answered in the home half with four hits, including a two-run home run from Jocelyn Erickson to tie the game, and took advantage of an Auburn error to claw back in front 10-8. Auburn did not go down quietly as Adams connected for her second home run of the game in the seventh inning, but the rally fell just short.
“This team was going to fight no matter what,” Adams said. “We talked about ‘don’t let us win one.’ That mentality really allowed us to put out our best foot every time we stepped out on the field. This team is proud of how we fought, but we’re ready to come back next year so don’t count us out. We’re coming back. We’re coming back hard. We’re coming back in full force.”
GAME NOTES
- Ma’Nia Womack’s home run in the second inning was her 15th of the season, which led the team. She now has 17 home runs in her career.
- AnnaLea Adams doubled in the third inning to bring her season total to nine. She has 18 doubles in her collegiate career.
- Adams recorded the first multi-home run game of her career. It brought her season total to nine and her career total to 19. She is the first Tiger in program history to record multiple home runs in an SEC Tournament game.
- Adams set a career high with seven RBI in the contest. It was her 10th multi-RBI game of the season and the 23rd of her career. It is the most RBI recorded in an SEC Tournament game by a Tiger. The previous record of four was set by Michelle Martin in 2001.
- With three hits, Adams recorded her ninth multi-hit game of the season, bringing her career total to 23.
- With a pair of singles, Kylie Shaw has reached base in nine straight contests and in 51 of 55 games this season. It was Shaw’s 12th multi-hit game of the season.
- Alyssa Hastings finished the game 2-for-3 for her 13th multi-hit game of the season, bringing her career total to 43.