Auburn Softball Keeps Rolling, Extends Run-Rule Streak to Five at War Eagle Classic
AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn softball is locked in right now. The Tigers capped off a dominant weekend at Jane B.
Moore Field with a pair of emphatic run-rule wins over Bradley and Binghamton on Saturday, stretching their streak of run-rule victories to five straight. With the bats firing and the pitching staff keeping opponents in check, Auburn improved to 9-2 on the season, putting together a statement performance at the War Eagle Classic.
“We’re all about winning every pitch and staying consistent,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux. “This group grinds.
They work hard. They’re fun to coach, and they were locked in this weekend.”
That focus showed in every inning. Auburn’s offense overwhelmed both opponents, outscoring Bradley and Binghamton by a combined 24-6 margin.
The Tigers racked up 26 hits across the two games, including five home runs, and continued to pile up extra-base hits at a torrid pace. Over their five-game run-rule streak, Auburn has now outscored opponents 57-12, slugging at a blistering .911 clip.
Game 1: Auburn 13, Bradley 5 (5 Innings)
Bradley kept things interesting early, but Auburn’s offense had other plans.
The Tigers jumped out with four runs in the first inning, capitalizing on a Braves error and getting a big swing from freshman Haven Roebuck, who launched her second homer of the season to give Auburn an early cushion.
Bradley chipped away with three runs over the next two innings, including a solo shot from Emly Organ, but Auburn kept applying pressure. Sophomore AnnaLea Adams and senior McKaela Walker each went deep in the second inning, pushing the lead to 7-3.
Auburn pulled away in the third and fourth innings with a string of timely hits. Junior Ma’Nia Womack ripped an RBI double, Roebuck added a sac fly, and RBI singles from Kylie Shaw and Destiny Rodriguez stretched the lead to 11-5.
In the fifth, Roebuck and Walker set the table with singles. A fielder’s choice brought home one run, and with two outs and the run-rule margin in sight, freshman Daigle Wilson laid down a perfectly placed bunt single that allowed Walker to race home and seal the 13-5 walk-off win.
Notables:
- Shaw was a spark plug at the top of the lineup, going 3-for-4 with an RBI.
- Roebuck drove in four runs on a 2-for-3 day.
- Walker added two hits and an RBI, continuing a strong stretch at the plate.
- Junior Malayna Tamborra made her first start of the year, working 2.2 innings and allowing two earned runs.
- Redshirt freshman Abby Herndon (1-1) was sharp in relief, tossing 2.1 innings of one-hit ball with three strikeouts to earn the win.
Game 2: Auburn 11, Binghamton 1 (5 Innings)
If the first game was a slugfest, the second was a showcase of Auburn’s depth and balance.
McKaela Walker got the Tigers going in the first inning with a two-run single to left, and the floodgates opened from there. Auburn hung four more runs in the second, highlighted by a three-run blast from Rodriguez that cleared the right-field fence and put the game firmly in Auburn’s control.
Binghamton managed a solo home run in the third, but Auburn answered with a five-run outburst in the bottom half. Redshirt sophomore Kyla Stroud led off with a solo shot of her own, and the Tigers loaded the bases behind hits from Alyssa Hastings, Shaw, and Womack.
Rodriguez came through again with a two-run single, Adams added a sac fly, and Stroud capped the inning by drawing a bases-loaded walk-her second RBI of the frame.
On the mound, junior SJ Geurin got the start and the win, improving to 2-1 on the season. She allowed just one run on three hits while striking out three. Freshman Charley Butler followed with two hitless innings of relief, striking out two and allowing only a walk.
Notables:
- Rodriguez had a monster game, driving in five runs-matching a career high-and scoring three times.
- Stroud contributed a home run and two RBI.
- Five different Tigers recorded multi-hit games, showcasing the lineup’s depth.
- Walker added a double, her second of the season, and continued to produce in the middle of the order.
Weekend Standouts & Career Milestones
- Kylie Shaw is becoming a consistent force. She recorded two multi-hit games on Saturday and has now done so in eight of Auburn’s 11 games this season.
Her triple against Binghamton was the first of her career.
- Haven Roebuck continues to swing a hot bat, notching her fourth multi-hit and third multi-RBI game of the year against Bradley.
- McKaela Walker delivered two multi-hit games on Saturday, bringing her career total to three. She added her second homer and second double of the season, and now has four career home runs and four doubles.
- AnnaLea Adams added her third home run of the season and the 13th of her career. She also logged her fourth multi-RBI game of the year.
- Destiny Rodriguez tied a career high with three runs scored and set a new personal best with five RBI against Binghamton. She now has nine career multi-RBI games and 21 multi-hit games.
- Alyssa Hastings continues to be a steady contributor, adding her fourth multi-hit game of the season and the 34th of her career.
- Kyla Stroud tallied her third multi-hit and third multi-RBI game of the year, along with her second home run.
- SJ Geurin picked up her second win of the year and the 26th of her career, while Charley Butler impressed in relief with two clean innings.
What’s Next
With Sunday’s games canceled due to weather, Auburn turns its attention to a major early-season test. The Tigers head west to California for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, where they’ll face a stacked schedule that includes No.
14 Oregon and No. 6 UCLA.
All six games in Cathedral City will be streamed on FloSports (subscription required), and fans can catch JJ Jackson on the radio call via WEGL 91.1 FM and the Auburn Sports Network.
If this weekend was any indication, Auburn’s offense is ready to travel-and ready to take on some of the nation’s best.