Despite setting two new program records this week in Lexington, Kentucky, No. 14-seeded Auburn saw its miraculous run come to a heartbreaking conclusion on Thursday afternoon.
Following an impressive pair of wins to open its stint in the SEC Tournament, defeating Missouri on Tuesday and Texas A&M on Wednesday, both comeback victories, the Tigers fell to No. 3-seeded Florida 10-9 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
Auburn ends the year at 27-28 overall and 4-20 in the SEC, marking the first time it has finished with a losing record in 19 years. Additionally, teams that don’t win their conference tournament must be at least .500 to become eligible for an at-large bid, meaning Auburn will miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013.
“As the game was going, there was never a doubt in our minds that it was going to end like that until the final out,” Auburn co-head coach Chris Malveaux said. “I’m just really proud of the fight in this team. It was a difficult situation to come into this week. They bought into playing together and having one heartbeat."
After falling 25-0 to LSU last weekend in the worst loss in SEC history, the Tigers’ offense absolutely exploded during its time in the Bluegrass State, scoring six runs against Missouri, 11 runs versus the Aggies and nine more in their loss to the Gators.
Auburn’s 26 runs in the tournament mark the most in program history, while its 10 home runs also set a new school record for the most homers in an SEC Tournament.
"Watching them play with joy was so much fun as a coach. I know the outside world is going to judge based on where we ended up," Malveaux said. "From the inside, watching how this team was able to turn around mentally after being in a difficult spot throughout the year, I’m proud of them for climbing out of that hole. It’s difficult to do in life. It’s difficult to do in a season. These players were able to fight in the end. It truly was a full-team fight for three straight games. I just couldn’t be more proud of them and how they left it all out on the line.”
The Tigers came out firing once again on Thursday, as junior Ma’Nia Womack got her squad on the board first with a solo home run in the second inning. Auburn followed Womack’s effort with three runs in the top of the third, courtesy of a base-clearing double by AnnaLea Adams to lift the No. 14 seed to an early 4-1 advantage.
But the Tigers weren’t done yet, adding one in the fourth and three more in the sixth. After a single from Alyssa Hastings and a walk from McKaela Walker, Adams sent a three-run blast over the center-field wall in the sixth to propel Auburn to an 8-6 lead heading into the home half.
Adams was undoubtedly Auburn’s most productive player offensively, finishing 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, two home runs and seven RBI. The sophomore also homered with two outs in the top of the seventh to cut the deficit to 10-9, but Womack followed the solo shot with a strikeout to end the game.
However, despite posting nine runs, Auburn failed to capitalize on multiple opportunities to break the game open. It left bases loaded twice, both in the third and sixth innings, contributing to 11 total runners stranded in the contest.
Although Auburn’s bats remained hot, it struggled heavily in the circle. Sophomore Ella Harrison earned the start for the third consecutive day, allowing five runs on six hits through just 2 ⅓ innings of work.
Redshirt freshman Abby Herndon ultimately earned the loss after entering in relief for Harrison in the bottom of the third, surrendering five runs (two earned) on three hits and recording two strikeouts.
Auburn never entered the top of an inning with a lead, as the Gators responded every time the Tigers plated runs. Auburn scored one run in the second, three in the third, one in the fourth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh; excluding the seventh inning, Florida answered in the bottom of all four frames, totaling one in the second, four in the third, one in the fourth and four in the sixth.
There were only two innings — the first and fifth — in which both Auburn and Florida were held scoreless.
Now, as the 2026 campaign closes, it should be an interesting offseason regarding leadership changes, player retention and the overall trajectory of the program.
With Auburn falling short of an NCAA Regional for the first time in 13 years and finishing below .500 for the first time in nearly two decades, Chris and Kate Malveaux’s futures certainly remain unknown.
However, at the same time, the Tigers boast an arsenal of young talent and promising pieces who could develop into strong contributors over the next few years — and they showed glimpses of their potential this week in Lexington.
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Gunner is a sophomore majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in the fall 2024.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @norene_gunner10
