AUBURN, Ala. – Scoring 25 total runs across Friday’s doubleheader slate at Jane B. Moore Field, Auburn softball (7-2) took down both Bradley (3-4) and Campbell (5-2) in run-rule fashion to extend the Tigers’ win streak to four consecutive games.
Auburn has now earned a run-rule victory in three consecutive games to open its home slate.
“We wanted to make sure we were aggressive today,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux. “I was glad how we were really locked in and set the tone out the gate. We were able to take Bradley out of the game early. We were able to control the tone offensively and let the game come to us. We knew it would be a high intensity game versus Campbell. It was good to have a game where we had to fight through. It keeps you hungry and humble. It was a crazy game emotionally. A team can fall into that trap, and we did a great job rallying around it.”
The Tigers totaled 13 extra-base hits on Friday, which included seven home runs.
AnnaLea Adams led Auburn at the plate with a 3-for-5 showing with three RBI. Destiny Rodriguez knocked four hits, including two home runs, and added five RBI and four runs scored. Auburn’s catching duo of Ava Ratliff and Kylie Brockman both totaled four RBI on Friday.
Making her collegiate debut in a relief appearance, Blayne Godrey earned the victory versus Bradley. Ella Harrison remained unblemished in the circle as she improved to 4-0, earning the win versus Campbell.
Auburn 14, Bradley 3
The Tigers set the tone out the gate with five runs in the first frame. Kylie Shaw got the offense going with a double to lead off the inning. The Tigers loaded the bases behind a walk and beating out a throw on a fielder’s choice. Adams put Auburn on the board with a two-run single up the middle. Auburn quickly reloaded the bases for Ava Ratliff, who busted the game wide open as she delivered a double to plate three runs.
Back-to-back doubles allowed Bradley to push across a run in the second inning, but Auburn responded with eight runs in the home half.
With Shaw aboard with a bunt single, Ma’Nia Womack and Rodriguez followed with back-to-back home runs to build up an 8-1 lead. An Adams double, a hit by pitch and a walk loaded the bases for the Tigers.
Auburn plated its fourth run of the inning off Ratliff’s sacrifice fly. Three free passes from the Bradley pitching staff brought in two addition runs before Rodriguez singled to right field to drive in a pair, extending the lead to 13-1.
The freshman duo of Haven Roebuck and Delaney Aumua made it a 14-1 contest as the pair traded places with back-to-back doubles in the third inning. An Auburn fielding error in the fourth allowed the Braves to score two unearned runs, cutting the lead to 14-3 but the Tigers held on to secure the run rule.
Shaw went 2-for-3 in the contest with three runs scored. Womack added three RBI on her 1-for-2 effort. Rodriguez finished 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI. Adams added two hits and two RBI while Ratliff closed the contest with four RBI.
SJ Geurin earned the start and tossed two innings. She allowed just one run off two hits and struck out four. Godfrey (1-0) earned the win in relief. In her debut, she allowed two unearned runs across two innings. She gave up two hits and struck out three. Abby Herndon closed the game, giving up just one hit in her inning of work.
Auburn 11, Campbell 3
Taking advantage of an Auburn error ahead of a solo home run, Campbell jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
The Tigers batted right back as a pair of singles put runners on the corners with one out for Adams. She connected for a sacrifice fly to put Auburn on the board. Roebuck gave the Tigers a lead as she followed with the first home run of her career.
With McKaela Walker in scoring position off a double, Brockman plated Auburn’s fourth run of the first inning with a single to left field.
The Camels got one back in the top of the third off a pair of singles to cut it to a one-run score. A lengthy protest in the bottom of the inning delayed the game for over 25 minutes, but Brockman’s three-run home run following the delay cushioned the lead for the Tigers.
Auburn added home runs by Alyssa Hastings and Rodriguez in the fourth to build a 10-3 lead, setting the table for the Tiger offense to walk off the game in the fifth.
A fielding error and walk put two on base with one, Hasting ended the game with an RBI double to left center.
Harrison (4-0) earned the victory behind five strikeouts. She gave up three runs off five hits. Malyana Tamborra tossed the final frame for the Tigers, striking out two.
Rodriguez closed the game 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs and two RBI. Brockman went 2-for-3 with four RBI while Hastings finished 2-for-3 with two RBI.
GAME NOTES
- Blayne Godfrey made her collegiate debut versus Bradley.
- Kylie Shaw recorded her sixth multi-hit game of her career with two hits versus Bradley. She added her third double of the season. She matched her career high with three runs scored.
- Ma’Nia Womack’s three RBI versus Bradley matched her career high. She slugged her first home run of the season and the third of her career in the contest. It was her third multi-RBI game of the season and the fourth of her career.
- Destiny Rodriguez matched her career high in RBI versus Bradley with three. She closed the doubleheader, bringing her carer multi-RBI game total to eight and her career multi-hit total to 20. She slugged her second and third home runs of the season to up her career total to eight.
- AnnaLea Adams slugged her fourth double of the season to bring her career total to 13. She added her third multi-hit game of the season and the 16th of her career. It was also her third multi-RBI game of the season and the 15th of her career.
- Ava Ratliff set a career high with four RBI versus Bradley, slugging the first double of her career.
- Delaney Aumua slugged the first double of her career versus the Braves.
- Haven Roebuck knocked a double to up her season total to six. Roebuck added the first home of her career versus Campbell while also upping her multi-RBI game total to two.
- Brockman turned in her third multi-RBI game of the season and her fourth multi-hit game of the season while connecting on her first home run of the year. She now has three career home runs to her credit.
- Alyssa Hastings added her third multi-hit game of the season and the 33rd of her career. She added her second home run of the season, bringing her career total to nine. It was her first multi-RBI game as a Tiger, bringing her career total to 16 games.
- Ella Harrison earned her fourth win of the season and the 16th of her career. She has now struck out at least five batters in four straight appearances.
UP NEXT
Auburn continues the War Eagle Classic on Saturday. The Tigers open their slate with a 4:30 p.m. CT contest versus Bradley. Auburn then battles Binghamton at 7 p.m. CT. Both games are available on the SEC Network+ and can be heard locally on WEGL 91.1 FM. Fans will receive Auburn softball conversation hearts will supplies last.