Auburn University’s softball team secured an 8-0 win against Illinois in their home opener at Jane B. Moore Field on Thursday. Sophomore pitcher Ella Harrison delivered a one-hitter and recorded her first shutout as a Tiger, allowing only two Illinois players to reach base—a single in the second inning and a hit by pitch in the fifth—while striking out seven.
Both teams remained scoreless through the first three innings, with Auburn’s AnnaLea Adams breaking the deadlock with an RBI double in the first. The Tigers expanded their lead in the fourth when Ma’Nia Womack executed a bunt to bring home a run, followed by Destiny Rodriguez’s RBI single.
Auburn pulled away in the fifth inning. Kyla Stroud hit her first career home run, bringing in two runs and extending Auburn’s lead to 6-0. Alyssa Hastings then added a solo home run. Kylie Shaw doubled and later scored on another RBI single from Rodriguez, pushing Auburn into run-rule territory and ending the game early.
Co-head coach Chris Malveaux commented on his team’s performance: “(Christian) Crawford was doing a great job of hitting spots early in the game,” said Malveaux. “We had a difficult time. You could see a little frustration when we were leaving runners on base. Kudos to our team. They continued to fight and figured it out. They did a great job adjusting and staying the course.”
Malveaux also praised Harrison’s pitching: “It was nice for Ella (Harrison) to experience pitching in this park while wearing an Auburn uniform and really feel what it is like to have the crowd behind you,” he said. “She didn’t disappoint. She kept pounding the zone and working ahead. She had all of her pitches working. She can be nasty and is tough to get to.”
Rodriguez led offensively with three hits in four at-bats and two RBI, while Stroud drove in three runs with two hits, including her home run. Shaw also contributed with two hits, two runs scored, and a walk from her leadoff spot.
The Tigers will continue play at the War Eagle Classic on Friday with games against Bradley at 4:30 p.m. CT and Campbell at 7 p.m. CT, both available on SEC Network+.
