A turnaround season under first year head coach Clint Myers ended up just short of a spot in the NCAA Tournament Super Regional as Auburn fell to Minnesota 8-6 in the decisive game on Sunday night in regional play.
The Tigers, coming into Sunday needing to win two games from the Minnesota Golden Gophers, won the first game 4-3 on a walk-off home run by pinch-hitter Jenna Abbott in the bottom of the eighth, forcing the second game.
Pinch-hitters kept on coming through for Auburn in the second game as Madi Gipson hit a blooper over the third baseman's head in the second inning, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
McKenzie Kilpatrick continued the good luck of pinch-hitters in the fourth, hitting a 3-2 pitch over the left-field wall for a grand slam and a 6-3 Auburn lead.
The Tiger held a 6-5 lead going into the 6th inning of the decisive game before the Golden Gophers' Sam Macken hit a 3-run home run to give the hosts the final margin of victory.
"Good teams are good because of the fact that they capitalize on their opponent's mistakes and that is exactly what Minnesota did to us today," Myers said. "We gave them an extra out to play with and they beat us with it."
Auburn was playing their fourth game in two days, each being an elimination game.
Despite being eliminated, Myers was proud of his team.
"Our first year, we had 42 wins and were playing in a championship game with the winner going to a Super Regional," Myers said. "That is the first time that has happened in Auburn's history."
Auburn finished with a 42-19-1 record, tied for the second most wins in program history.
"I am extremely proud of the ladies that we have only had since August," Myers said. "They did a tremendous job."
Myers, in his first year at Auburn after serving as head coach at Arizona State and leading the Sun Devils to two NCAA Championships, revived the program after the Tigers missed the NCAA tournament last year for the first time since 2007.
The Tigers started the year on fire, piling up a 31-4-1 record before a seven-game losing streak began with a loss at Kentucky and then consecutive sweeps at the hands of Florida and Missouri. Auburn then picked up their winning ways with a 7-3 record in their final 10 regular season games.
In the SEC Tournament held in Columbia, South Carolina, the Tigers upset the host Gamecocks 7-5 before losing to rival Alabama 8-4.
Myers, when asked about the future of the softball program, was confident.
"The legacy of Auburn softball began here in Minneapolis," Myers said. "We are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future."
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