SEC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT: Hawkins Propels Alabama to Win Over Auburn

Alabama gets over hurdle number one at the 2025 SEC Softball Tournament.

ALABAMA 3, AUBURN 2

It didn’t take Bama starting pitcher Jocelyn Briski long to give Auburn the advantage. The second batter of the game hit a no-doubt home run over the right field fence. Yet, Briski would settle in after awhile.

Audrey Vandagriff led off the bottom of the 1st with a bunt single. Poor Lauren Johnson was forced to bunt her over to second, but that is as far as Vandagriff got.

Marlie Giles led off the 2nd inning with a solid single. Salen Hawkins followed up with a double to the warning track that tied the score.

An Abby Duchscherer single put runners at the corners with no outs but the Tide could do no more damage.

After Johnson singled to lead off the 3rd, Bama took the lead on a RBI triple by Kali Heilvin that rolled to the wall. After a Giles walk, Hawkins hit a sac fly to make it 3-1 Tide.

Briski seemed to tire in the 6th against the heart of the Aub order. At one point in the inning, she skipped a pitch up to Giles’s glove. A leadoff walk and a single put two on with no outs. A fly ball moved a runner to third and a wild pitch moved the other to second. Hawkins fielded an in-between pop fly to shallow left and threw home but could not stop the run from scoring. Meanwhile, the other Aubie broke for third but was gunned down by an alert Giles, 3-2. Of note, the runner was initially called safe. The call was overturned on a video challenge.

Briski returned to the circle in the 7th and seemed to get a second wind. She struck out the first batter on three pitches. It took five pitches to whiff the next batter. But a seeing-eye single dribbled through the left side of the Alabama infield to represent a potential tying run. However, Briski retired the final batter on strikes as well to earn the too-close-for-comfort win.

NOTES:

• From the WTF Dept., Auburn catcher Aubrie Lisenby has the yips about throwing the ball back to the pitcher. So she has to walk the ball back to the pitcher every time – even with nobody on base. Reportedly, she has no problem throwing anywhere else on the infield. Between that silliness, a failed AU video replay that seemed obviously not needed, and two mound visits in the first three innings, it almost felt like the War Tigers were intentionally trying to mess with momentum or something.
• Giles threw out the only attempted base-stealer.
• Vandagriff singled to right field in the 4th. The AU fielder made a diving attempt to catch the ball in front of her but it one-hopped into her glove. Vandagriff continued on to second base but was easily thrown out by a mile. As a freshman, I cannot imagine she made that decision on her own. If that assumption is correct, that would mean Kalyla Braud made that call.
• Briski struck out the final batter of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 7th innings. She had 8 Ks for the game on 107 pitches.
• Beth Mowins was REALLY selling Tuscaloosa as a Regional hosting site during the broadcast. She obviously reads her weekly emails from her 4-Letter bosses.
• Hawkins has been playing fantastic defense (below) and hitting too. Duke wasn’t so bad either.

SCHEDULE

Wednesday, May 7 vs South Carolina – Barring extra innings or weather issues, this game should start around 6:30pm/7:30pm.

HOW TO WATCH… ALLEGEDLY

SECNetwork with (ugh) Beth Mowins, Michele Smith, and Holly Rowe.

ATHENS, GA WEATHER

Skies should again be clear with temperatures in the 80s. The sun will likely set around the end of the game.

SOUTH CAROLINA

The Crimson Tide now plays the well-rested 7th seeded Gamecocks. The analysis has not changed much since a few days ago.

ONE CENT ANALYSIS (no refunds)

I have a bad feeling about this one. But maybe they can get that same mojo they had in Game 1 last Thursday.

WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE

(# = seedings)

GAME 4: #8 MSU vs #9 LSU – 10am/11am

GAME 5: #5 Arkansas vs #12 Georgia – 35 mins after

GAME 6: #6 Florida vs #11 Ole Miss

#RollTide #Team29