Auburn Rallies For 6-5 Win In SEC Final

Saturday, May 9

Baton Rouge, La.

8:00 PM

University of Tennessee

42-14

#6 Auburn

49-9

Tennessee

Auburn

May 09, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

May 9, 2015

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BATON ROUGE, La. -- No. 6 Auburn rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh and scored the winning run in the ninth inning to claim its first SEC title with a 6-5, nine-inning win over No. 11 Tennessee on Saturday night.

Tennessee dropped an SEC Tournament championship game for the first time, winning titles in 2006 and 2011. UT was striving to become the first SEC Tournament Champion to play four games to win the tourney crown.

Tennessee will receive its postseason schedule on Sunday when the 2015 NCAA Tournament bracket is released during the NCAA Selection Show at 10 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

Auburn freshman Carlee Wallace's double down the left field line drove in Emily Carosone in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win for Auburn.

Meghan Gregg's line-drive solo home run in the top of the seventh inning appeared to be the insurance run Tennessee needed for the victory, but Auburn rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 5-5.

In the circle, Erin Gabriel was masterful yet again, striking out nine in 5.2 innings in relief of starter Rainey Gaffin, allowing just one earned run. Gaffin returned to the circle in the eighth and suffered the loss in the ninth.

Annie Aldrete finished 3-for-5 on the night with one run scored. Gregg went 2-for-4 with the solo homer and two RBIs. Taylor Koenig and Megan Geer had one RBI each.

Gabriel, Geer and Gregg were named the 2015 SEC All-Tournament Team. Gregg hit .500 on the week (7-for-14) with two homers, one double, five RBIs and three runs. Geer hit .308 with a pair of home runs, four RBIs and a team-high six runs scored. Gabriel went 1-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 24 strikeouts over four appearances and 16.1 innings in the circle. Gabriel limited opposing hitters to a .175 average.

Saturday's loss capped an incredible week for the Lady Vols in Baton Rouge. Playing for the fourth consecutive time, UT defeated Kentucky, 5-4, in the opening round after Gregg hit a walk-off two-run single. Tennessee scored four runs in the final two innings against LSU in the quarterfinals to defeat the host Tigers, 7-5. UT bounced Florida, 3-2, thanks to a steller outing int he circle by Gabriel.

Auburn took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Kasey Cooper grounded out to second base for the inning's second out and Tiffany Howard scored from third base.

The Tigers grew its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the second. With one out and the bases loaded. Jenna Abbott drew a bases loaded walk, plating Morang Estell from third base. After Gabriel relieved Gaffin in the circle, Emily Carosone hit an RBI single off Gabriel on a hopper back to the circle, scoring Haley Fagan.

Tennessee's offense woke up in the fourth inning. Aldrete led off the inning with a single down the left field line. Two batters later, Gregg hit a one-out single up the middle. With two outs and runners on first and second, Koenig ripped an RBI single up the middle to plate Geer and pull UT to within 3-1.

In the fifth inning, Tory Lewis smacked a leadoff double down the right field line to spark a big Tennessee rally. Gaffin walked and two batters later Aldrete singled up the middle to load the bases. Geer was hit by a pitch, scoring Lewis to make it at 3-2 ballgame. Gregg grounded into a fielder's choice scoring Gaffin from third base and then Aldrete from second after a throwing error by the shortstop, trying to turn the double play at first.

After a flyout to left and back-to-back walks drawn by Lexi Overstreet and Gaffin, Auburn replaced starting pitcher Lexi Davis with Rachael Walters. UT left two on base when Walters induced a fielder's choice and notched a strikeout to end the inning.

Gregg's home run in the top of the seventh came with two outs and was the 10th pitch of her at-bat against Walters. The blast was Gregg's 12th on the season.