LEXINGTON, Ky. Facing a must-win situation and a two-run deficit heading into the final frames, the Auburn Tigers refused to let their season end. The No. 14 seed Auburn softball team erupted for six unanswered runs, stunning the No. 11 Missouri Tigers with a 6-2 victory in the opening round of the SEC Tournament on Tuesday at John Cropp Stadium .
Trailing 2-0 entering the top of the sixth inning, Auburn’s offense finally cracked the code against Missouri’s starting pitcher, Cierra Harrison. The comeback began with a leadoff triple from junior Alyssa Hastings, followed by a chaotic sequence of Missouri miscues that shifted all momentum .
An errant throw from Missouri catcher Stefania Abruscato allowed Hastings to score, cutting the lead to 2-1. Shortly after, with two outs, a wild pitch by Mizzou reliever Abby Carr allowed the tying run to cross home plate, setting the stage for freshman hero Haven Roebuck.
With the game now tied, Roebuck delivered the biggest hit of her young career, launching a two-run home run to left field to give Auburn a 4-2 lead .
“I was just looking for something to drive,” Roebuck said after the game. “I knew we had all the momentum after tying it up.”
The Orange and Blue didn’t stop there. In the seventh inning, redshirt sophomore Kyla Stroud added a solo shot, and junior Ma’Nia Womack capped the scoring with an RBI single, pushing the lead to 6-2 .
While the offense exploded late, the pitching staff held the line. After starter Ella Harrison settled down following a rocky first inning, freshman Charley Butler entered in relief and was lights out. Butler earned her first collegiate victory, shutting down Missouri over the final three innings, allowing just one hit to secure the win .
“From a coaching standpoint, it was refreshing to see the team break loose and figure it out,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux. “They went for it, had some success, started feeling it, and carried themselves differently” .
The loss was a heartbreaker for Missouri (28-29), who jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. However, their offense went silent for the rest of the contest, and the late defensive collapse officially ended their season, leaving them one win short of NCAA Tournament eligibility . It marks the second consecutive year Mizzou has missed the postseason.
For Auburn (26-27), the win extends their season and snaps a lengthy SEC Tournament drought. This marks Auburn’s first win in the conference tournament since 2023 .
“We had to find a way to win one game and get the monkey off our back,” Malveaux added .
Up next, the 14th-seeded Tigers will face the 6th-seeded Texas A&M Aggies on Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m. CT. The game will be broadcast live on the SEC Network .
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