Auburn Softball Advances to Super Regionals with Sunday win over Cal

Auburn defeated Cal on Sunday, advancing them to their third straight NCAA Super Regional

(Photo: Auburn Athletics/Dakota Sumpter)

Only needing one game to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals, the Auburn (49-10) bats left nothing to chance, as they attacked early on their way to an 8-2 win over California (32-24) in the final game of the NCAA Auburn Regional. The Tigers took advantage of a Cal team that needed to win three games on Sunday in order to pull off the upset. Saturday, the Golden Bears fell to Auburn in extra innings, setting up a rematch with Notre Dame in order to advance to championship Sunday. Their Saturday night date with the Fighting Irish was suspended due to lightning and heavy rain in the area, forcing the conclusion of the game to Sunday. Cal held on to defeat Notre Dame, 5-3, setting up another date with the Tigers. Auburn attacked the fatigued Bears early, by batting around in the first inning, and nearly repeating the action in the second inning, scoring seven runs by the time the game reached the third inning. The Tigers scored all four of their first inning runs before recording an out, highlighted by a two-run double by Carlee Wallace, and a two-run home run by Haley Fagan. Kaylee Carlson followed up her offense’s hot start, by sitting down the first three Bears in the lineup on just six pitches. Alyssa Rivera added her name to the two-RBI club in the second inning by scoring Wallace and Kasey Cooper on a bases-loaded double with one out. Fagan scored her second run of the game two at-bats later, on a Courtney Shea double. The offense, for the most part, calmed after a wild first two innings. California’s first run came in the bottom of the third inning, when Lindsay Rood took advantage of a passed ball, cutting the Auburn lead to 7-1. The final run of the day for the Bears came in the sixth inning after the first two batters of the inning, Kylie Reed and Lindsay Rood, reached on singles. Annie Aldrete grounded out into a double play with the bases loaded, scoring Rood. Kasey Cooper added an insurance run in the top half of the seventh, by nailing a solo home run with one down in the inning, capping the scoring at 8-2, giving Auburn the win. Haley Fagan had another great day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI. Kasey Cooper went 4-for-5 against Cal, with Victoria Draper, Kendall Veach, and Courtney Shea joining Cooper and Fagan as players who recorded multiple hits in the game. Carlson got the win, tossing four innings, allowing three hits and one earned run. Makayla Martin also turned in a great outing, pitching three innings and striking out two. Auburn awaits the winner of the Normal Regional next weekend at Jane B. Moore Field. Dates and times are to be announced.