No. 24 Auburn softball lost the opening game of its series against No. 6 Oklahoma, 13-5, on March 13 at Love’s Field. Despite an early three-run home run by freshman Haven Roebuck, Auburn could not maintain its lead as Oklahoma secured the win in six innings.
The matchup featured a total of seven home runs between the two teams. The game ended in the sixth inning when Allyssa Parker hit a sacrifice fly for Oklahoma, clinching the victory.
“I liked the way that we stayed competing,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux. “There were times where we could have made smarter decisions to get an out. It could have kept us in the game a little bit. Our pitchers did a great job of being able to change speeds and hit certain spots. Oklahoma did a great job of taking advantage of every little mistake in a big way.”
Roebuck had a standout performance with three hits, including two home runs and four runs batted in. Senior McKaela Walker also contributed with a solo home run. Auburn used four pitchers during the game, with redshirt freshman Abby Herndon taking the loss and freshman Charley Butler pitching 2.1 innings in relief.
Auburn initially took a 3-0 lead after Roebuck’s home run in the second inning, but Oklahoma responded with nine runs in their half of the inning, aided by three home runs and two errors from Auburn. The Tigers attempted to close the gap with additional solo home runs from Walker and Roebuck but were unable to overcome Oklahoma’s offense.
Auburn will try to even the series on Saturday at 2 p.m., with coverage available on SEC Network+ and local radio. The team returns home Wednesday for Fan Appreciation Night against Jacksonville State.
