The Auburn Tigers’ softball team has been riding high to start the season. After posting an impressive 4-1 record in the NFCA Leadoff Classic to open the year, including a 10-5 victory over No. 9 Clemson, the Tigers swept all five of their games at the War Eagle Classic hosted in Auburn this past weekend.
Not only was the clean sweep impressive, but even more notable was that Auburn won every game by run rule, by eight or more runs. The road only gets tougher for the Tigers in the coming weeks, but there is no debating Auburn is off to an incredible start.
Auburn’s first matchup against Illinois on Thursday ended in an 8-0 shutout victory for the Tigers. Auburn’s five-run fifth inning helped secure a run-rule victory and its fifth Power 5 win of the season. The inning featured back-to-back home runs by DP Kyla Stroud and SS Alyssa Hasting, giving the Tigers a seven-run lead before 2B Destiny Rodriguez ended the game with an RBI single to right field on her third hit of the contest. Auburn starter Ella Harrison shut down the Fighting Illini offense, allowing just one hit in five innings while striking out seven batters.
That marked Auburn’s only game scoring fewer than 10 runs on the weekend, as its Friday matchup against Bradley saw the Tigers post a season-high 14 runs in a 14-3, five-inning victory. Auburn’s offensive explosion started immediately, scoring 13 runs in the first two innings. A bases-clearing double by catcher Ava Ratliff in the first, along with back-to-back home runs by Rodriguez and CF Ma’Nia Womack, provided more than enough run support in the decisive win.
Auburn’s second Friday game brought more of the same from the dynamic Tigers offense, as it scored 11 runs to defeat Campbell, 11-3. After giving up two runs in the first inning, Auburn responded with a four-run inning of its own, highlighted by a two-run homer from 3B Haven Roebuck. It was all Tigers from there, as Auburn added three more home runs from catcher Kyleigh Brockman, Alyssa Hasting and Destiny Rodriguez. Ella Harrison also returned on one day’s rest to record her second win of the weekend.
Auburn’s second matchup against Bradley on Saturday featured a similar offensive onslaught, as the Tigers won 13-5. Auburn scored two or more runs in every inning, including seven total in the first two innings. The Tigers recorded three more home runs, 13 total hits and just two strikeouts in the game.
Auburn’s fifth and final game was a 10-run victory over Birmingham, with the Tigers allowing just one run in five innings. The star of the weekend hit her third home run of the classic and drove in five runs for Auburn. Starting pitcher SJ Guerin delivered three solid one-run innings before reliever Charley Butler closed out the game, tossing two hitless innings.
The Tigers’ final scheduled game of the weekend against Campbell was canceled due to inclement weather.
Auburn’s toughest stretch comes next weekend, as it is scheduled to face six historically respected West Coast programs at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, California. Game audio will be broadcast all weekend on WEGL 91.1 FM.
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Jonathan is a freshman majoring in industrial and systems engineering. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
