Courtesy of Auburn Athletics
BATON ROUGE, La. — For the first time since 2005, the 6th-ranked Auburn softball team will be playing in an SEC Softball Tournament semifinal. Auburn scored a 5-2 victory over No. 13 Missouri Thursday morning, needing only four hits, one being a home run from redshirt sophomore Haley Fagan to secure the victory.
Auburn will face three-seed Alabama on Friday in the SEC Tournament semifinal at 2 p.m. after the Crimson Tide defeated six-seed Georgia, 2-1, Thursday afternoon.
Auburn’s pitching came up big again as well as juniors Rachael Walters and Lexi Davis combined to only give up two runs on six hits. Davis recorded the only strikeout of the day for Auburn as the defense made multiple plays including two double plays.
“I thought it was two very good teams playing today,” Auburn head coach Clint Myers said. “I think the big thing for us today was the defense. How many times in a game do you see an outfielder throw out a runner at home, let alone two runners in the same game? Our little leadoff hitter (Tiffany Howard) was outstanding.Haley Fagan was lights out at shortstop and got the big hit for us to put us on the board.
Davis picked up the win, moving to 21-2 on the year. Davis relieved Walters in the fourth inning after Walters struggled to get through the first three frames. Walters only allowed the one run in the first inning, but walked three and had trouble finding her spots, forcing the change in the circle with one out in the fourth.
Getting the run support behind her, Davis did a great job of getting the ground balls, especially with runners on base. Auburn turned two double plays in the game, continuing to lead the conference with 30 twin killing this season.
“Our pitchers are just doing a great job getting us ground balls and we know that that’s what they’re trying to do,” said Fagan. “They’re not strike out pitchers, they’re trying to get us ground balls. So any way that we can get out of an inning with a double play or anything like that. It’s just great to be able to help them out like that and in our practices we do tons of work on ground balls, so to be able to help them out like that is just fantastic.”
Fagan’s home run for Auburn came in the bottom of the third inning after Missouri starter, Paige Lowary, set down the first six Auburn batters she faced in order in the first and second innings.
Fagan took the first pitch she saw from Lowary over the centerfield wall for her 12th home run of the year. The long ball tied the game at 1-1 and Auburn never looked back.
The long ball was Auburn’s conference-leading 94th home run of the year and started a string of five-straight runs scored by Auburn in the game.
Along with Fagan, Kasey Cooper, Carlee Wallace and Jenna Abbott each recorded a hit in the game. Emily Carosone and Morgan Estell each added an RBI off sacrifice flies as well.
Missouri had the early lead after a bases loaded single by Corrin Genovese in the top of the first. Missouri scored the run from third to take a 1-0 lead, but Howard came up throwing for Auburn and got Amanda Sanchez out on the play to end the inning with minimal damage.
It was one of two assists from left field for the Pembroke, Ga.-native as she showed off her arm again to end the top of the sixth inning.
After Missouri put two runners on with lead-off singles, Auburn got an out off a fielder’s choice ground out by Genovese. Missouri now with runners on first and second with one out, Davis walked the next batter in Kelsea Roth to load the bases.
Missouri cut the lead to 5-2 on the wild pitch from Davis to move all runners up 60 feet and looked to possibly make it a one-run game.
The next batter, Angela Randazzo, skied one to left field, just shy of the foul line where Howard was camped under it to make the play. Missouri tried to score on the sacrifice, but Howard threw a strike to home plate to Genovese out on the play and end the threat.
“I think it was repetition that kicked in for me,” Howard said after the game. “We work on that in practice all the time. I just wanted to get behind it and get through the ball.”
Auburn will face Alabama Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. with the winner advancing to the SEC Tournament final. Auburn has never been to an SEC Tournament final in program history. The game can be seen on ESPNU.
“It’s starting to come together, but there’s a lot of season left. Good teams find ways to win. We have a very simple philosophy. Good pitching, good defense and timely hitting and that’s exactly what you saw today. That’s a recipe for success. We’ve been playing to that and we’ve had a different hero every night.”
