What was a highly anticipated series in the SEC has become yet another platform for No. 1 Florida to flex its figurative muscles.
The Gators twice overcame a one-run deficit in an 8-5 win over the No. 3 Auburn Tigers at Jane B. Moore Field on Sunday afternoon. The win clinched the series for the undefeated Gators (26-0, 2-0 SEC), while Auburn fell to 22-3 (0-2 SEC).
The Tigers' bats were much stronger in this game than they were in the 6-3 loss to Florida on Saturday night, as they hit three home runs. The first was a solo shot by Emily Carosone in the first inning that gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Florida would respond with a Taylore Fuller RBI double in the second to tie it.
The third inning proved to be the most exciting of the game.
Florida's Amanda Lorenz hit a two-run homer to give the Gators a 3-1 lead. In the bottom of the inning, home runs by Kasey Cooper (two-run) and Carlee Wallace (solo) gave Auburn the lead once again, 4-3.
From that point on, the Gators would take control, outscoring the Tigers 5-1. This stretch started when starting pitcher Marcy Harper was relieved by Rachael Walters in the fourth inning. Walters' first pitch resulted in a three-run homer by Nicole DeWitt that gave the defending champions the lead for good, 6-4.
Down 7-4, a single by Wallace brought one run in in an attempt to spark a comeback. Florida would stretch the lead back to three, however, with a solo home run by Fuller in the top of the seventh.
Auburn and Florida each had three home runs on the day, the most allowed by either team in a game this season. The Gators had 11 hits to the Tigers' seven.
Auburn coach Clint Myers' message to his team was simple: Florida is a great team, and despite their mistakes, the Tigers shouldn't hang their heads.
"It's the second [SEC] game of the season," Myers said. "We've got 22 more to go. There's a reason they're ranked No. 1 in the country. Nobody has scored five runs against them. Nobody has scored more than three, and we've done that two days in a row. We're moving in the direction. We've just got to keep them from scoring on us."
Auburn will attempt to avoid the sweep against Florida on Monday night. Myers is still looking for his first win over the Gators as the Tigers' head coach, as he's 0-6.
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