Auburn makes history with series win at Alabama
The date is Saturday, May 6, 2017. The place is Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The score was 4-1.
Watch Alyssa Rivera postgame interview | Watch Clint Myers postgame interview | Watch Sydney Littlejohn postgame interview
History made.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth innings. After a bases loaded walk that scored Morgan Podany. Freshman Alyssa Rivera took a backdoor curve from Sydney Littlejohn to the gap in left field. The double cleared the bases and gave Auburn a 4-0 lead. That was all the Tigers needed.
“(I saw) a pitch over the plate and I did what I had to do,” said Rivera. “Just being a freshman, it’s crazy. We didn’t how big the rivalry was but being out here under the lights against Alabama is just crazy and it was a great experience.”
Since 1997, Auburn has never won a series in Tuscaloosa. Then, teams played two doubleheaders on back-to-back days instead of a three-game series.
Auburn clinched the series and has a five-game winning streak over Alabama and handed the Tide its fourth consecutive loss for the first time since 2013. The Tigers did it in front of a capacity crowd of 4,015 and on national television.
“I don’t know the history, I don’t know the rivalry but I’m starting too,” said a very happy Auburn head coach Clint Myers. “This is the SEC and if there’s one thing it has taught me is that the game is never out of reach until the last out.”
Makayla Martin got the win in the circle and improved to 18-5. She pitched six innings and gave up seven hits, one run and three walks while striking out two. Kaylee Carlson earned her fourth save of the season when she entered the game in the seventh inning.
The final game of the regular season for both teams is at noon on Sunday. It’s Senior Day for Alabama and they would like nothing more than to salvage one win.
“It could be the last (home) game of the three Sydney Littlejohn, Marisa Runyon and Chandler Dare,” said Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy. “We’re definitely playing for pride too and we need to put something together.”
Note: Kasey Cooper left the game in the fifth inning after being hit by a pitch in the fourth. Myers said the training staff didn’t think anything was broken but her forearm was tender to touch.
Game 1 Recap
The first game between Auburn and Alabama took nine innings, three hours and 44 minutes and 389 pitches.
Cooper got the ninth inning going when she hit by a pitch with one out. She advanced to second when Carlee Wallace turned on an inside pitch that screamed through the left side. Haley Fagan hit a soft grounder in the next at-bat and Cooper came around to score on an error by the Alabama defense.
Kendall Veach dropped a two-out double in left two batters later to score both Wallace and Fagan to give Auburn a 3-0 lead.
Kaylee Carlson sat Alabama down in order in the bottom half of the ninth to secure the seventh victory for Auburn in Tuscaloosa in program history.
Game 2 is set for a 7 p.m. CT start and can be seen on ESPN.
5 Extra Stats from Game 1
Alabama starter Alexis Osorio struck out 18 Tigers but walked 11. She pitched seven complete innings and totaled 184 pitches, 90 were strikes.
The Tide has lost three in a row for the first time since 2014 when Auburn handed a neutral site loss after two losses at Mississippi State.
Auburn’s Carlee Wallace had her first multi-strikeout game for the first time since February 17, 2016. She now has only struck out 10 times this season.
Kasey Cooper reached base safely four times via three walks and a hit by pitch.
Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy was tossed in the eighth inning for arguing ball and strikes.
