An early scoring barrage gave Auburn an early lead, and the Tigers coasted past California 8-2 in the Auburn regional championship.
The Tigers took the lead early in the game with four runs on five hits off Stephanie Trzcinski in the top of the first inning. Senior shortstop Haley Fagan knocked in two of Auburn’s four runs with a blast over the right field wall.
“I just think about hitting the ball,” Fagan said. “You just can’t ask for a better time for the bats to get hot going into supers and the postseason.”
With the Tigers up 4-0, freshman Alyssa Rivera extended the Auburn lead with a two-run double in the top of the second inning. Cal then went to the bullpen, but the pitching change would not keep the Tigers off the board.
Adding to the 6-0 lead, junior Courtney Shea brought in another run for Auburn with a single to left field.
California remained scoreless until the bottom of the third when junior right-handed pitcher Kaylee Carlson allowed a run on a wild pitch.
“It’s about going out there and performing when you have to, to move on” Auburn head coach Clint Myers said. “I’m really happy with the way we’ve performed the last three days.”
Carlson went four innings for Auburn, allowing one run on just three hits. She improved to 27-4 on the year.
Sophomore pitcher Makayla Martin entered the game in the fifth. She held the Golden Bears to one run in the final three innings.
With two outs, Martin strikes out her second Golden Bear batter and sends the Tigers to the seventh inning.
To give Auburn its final run, senior Kasey Cooper hit a solo home run off the scoreboard in the seventh.
“We had 31 hits in 2 games, that’s a statement piece saying that we’re here to play,” Cooper said. “Everybody is confident.”
Cooper and Fagan combined to go 7-for-9 with two home runs and three RBI. The Tigers finished with 16 hits, with eight different players recording a base hit.
Trzcinski took the loss for the Golden Bears, finishing the season 7-7.
Auburn will host its third-straight Super Regional next weekend at Jane B. Moore Field. The Tigers will host either Oklahoma or Tulsa.
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