Auburn went 4-2 at the Jane B. Moore Memorial Tournament this weekend, earning two wins over Troy (W 8-7, W 10-4) and USC Upstate (W 13-5, W 2-1). However, the Tigers fell to No. 11 Virginia Tech, losing two games (L 9-5, L 6-2). This tournament tested the Tigers' late-game momentum and showed off their early offense.
Auburn faced Troy on opening day while battling steady rain. The Tigers built a five-run early lead but let Troy back in, keeping it a close contest. Troy got a leg up in the seventh inning, making it a one-run game. Auburn held on to open the tournament with a win. Senior McKaela Walker and junior Ma’Nia Womack stood out in this game. Walker hit two home runs and drove in four runs, and Womack also added a home run to the tally.
Auburn split the day on Friday with another win against Troy and a loss against Virginia Tech. Against Troy, Walker had a grand slam. Ava Ratliff delivered an extra-base hit, and AnnaLea Adams added a home run. Auburn once again took the lead early against Virginia Tech, scoring first, but the Hokies broke it in the sixth inning.
Auburn had a rematch with Virginia Tech, which resulted in another loss. This game was unbalanced, with Auburn only producing offense in the fifth. However, Auburn ended the day with a win against USC Upstate. Contrasting the previous game, the Tigers scored every inning, ending the game in five. Womack once again delivered an impressive home run in this game.
“It was important to bounce back,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux. “I’m really proud of the team. We were a little bit juiced from the first game, so being able to bounce back and let the game come to us was pivotal in what we wanted to do. Kudos to our team for being disciplined and taking advantage when they could.”
Sunday’s finale came down to a pitchers' duel, where Auburn scored a narrow win behind Ella Harrison, who struck out 13 batters. This set a season high for strikeouts, allowing Auburn to do just enough offensively to steal the win, scoring in two separate innings. Roebuck had a triple in the finale, clutching the victory.
“Ella was doing her thing,” said Malveaux. “She had command of her pitches and did an incredible job of working ahead. Upstate had to guess a little bit, which works in her favor. She was in control the whole time.”
Outside of Harrison, Auburn also delivered impressive pitching performances with both Abby Herndon and SJ Geurin. Herndon added key relief innings across the tournament, including shutdown work against the Hokies. Geurin also played an important role in the late innings with multiple saves and relief appearances.
Several Tigers this weekend delivered key performances contributing to their success. Walker had multiple home runs this weekend, including Thursday’s two-home-run game and Friday’s grand slam. Womack also homered in multiple games and consistently provided early momentum. Ratliff had some big hits, including a clutch home run to even the score against Tech.
Despite the losses to Virginia Tech, Auburn displayed strong offensive power and stellar pitching. Auburn leaves the tournament looking to build upon this performance heading into Southeastern Conference play for the remainder of the season.
The Tigers will look to host Kentucky next weekend at the Jane B. Moore field. It will be during Go Wild War Eagle Weekend, meaning fans will receive points for attending Auburn Athletics home events, putting them in the running for a Yeti prize pack. The series begins on Friday at 6 p.m. CST, and all games will be available on SEC Network+.
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