The quarterfinal round of softball’s 2026 SEC Tournament is underway with the Florida Gators taking on the Auburn Tigers at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky, in the early game. We bring live coverage of the action with instant updates and highlights from the clay diamond right here.
So far, there has been plenty of offense between the two teams as they battle in a tug-of-war style for the lead. Heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Gators were behind by a score of 8-6, but a two-run home run and a pair of RBI singles put Florida back ahead on the scoreboard.
Auburn did not go down without a fight, however, crushing a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth before finally succumbing to the Orange and Blue. That is the Gators’ third win in four tries against the Tigers this spring.
FINAL: Florida 10, Auburn 9
Rothrock returns to the circle to try and finish things off, having already thrown 68 pitches earlier in the game before getting pulled; Comia returns to second base after Desiderio pinch ran for her. She starts things off with a pitch clock violation and gets charged with a ball before even throwing the ball, but a great unassisted play by Erickson at first on a hard-hit grounder gets the first out.
Walker works the count full before striking out looking on a 70 mph fastball that nips the inside part of the plate at the knees, and Auburn is now down to its final out.
Adams also works the count full, bringing the Tigers one out away from ending the season, but she isn’t ready to go home, sending a 66 mph offering over the left field fence to set a new SEC Tournament record with seven RBI for the game, bringing Auburn within one.
Womack strikes out looking at a 68 mph pitch that nips the inside part of the plate at the hands, and the Gators prevail.
Gators plate two more, take 10-8 lead
Right-hander Charley Butler enters the game for the Tigers against Cahalan; she hits a weak grounder back to the pitcher, who throws to third to get the lead runner for the first out on the fielder’s choice. Grover hits a line drive into left field that brings in the runner from second, and Florida has retaken the lead.
McLellan strikes out on three pitches, swinging at a high and outside offering to make the second out of the inning. Both teams meet at the plate and circle, respectively, before Wesolowski sends a soft liner into left field to bring in Florida’s 10th run of the game.
Gullia Desiderio comes in to pinch-hit for Comia with runners at first and second and two outs; she hits a soft grounder to shortstop that is fielded and thrown to first to end the rally. (E6: Auburn 8, Florida 10)
Florida ties things back up, forces pitching change
Herndon is still in the circle for the Tigers and gives up a single to Shumaker on a grounder through the left side to open up the bottom of the sixth. Erickson follows that up with a first-pitch swing that sends a fly ball over the right field fence near the foul pole to tie things up at eight apiece.
Brown forces a full count from Herndon before watching a ball hit the dirt before crossing the plate to take first base; Kalie Matsuno comes in as a pinch runner. Thomas hits a grounder to first, but the ball is not cleanly fielded, so she reaches on the error and now runners are on first and second with no outs.
As a result, Auburn makes a pitching change. (B6: Auburn 8, Florida 8)
Runner interference helps Gators strand loaded bases
Right-hander Leah Stevens is now in the circle, and her first pitch is hit for a ground ball by Wilson to the shortstop, who is interfered with by the runner, resulting in an out and preventing Auburn’s ninth run from crossing the plate. A grounder to second off of Shaw’s bat is fielded and thrown to first to strand Auburn’s loaded bases.
Further crisis averted, but Florida is down two. (M6: Auburn 8, Florida 6)
Auburn loads bases, Florida makes another pitching change
Right-hander Katelynn Oxley is now in the circle for the Gators and starts things off with a 56 mph pitch high to Womack, who flies out to center for out No. 1. But the Tigers aren’t done yet, as Rodriguez singles to center on the first pitch she sees on a 66 mph offering.
Roebuck sees four straight pitches for a walk in an at-bat where Oxley looked a little lost, and now Auburn has a runner in scoring position with one out. Ratliff then loads the bases on a hot shot to short that Cahalan couldn’t handle, bouncing off her glove and tumbling into left field — it is scored as an error, despite it being a tough play.
And Walton makes a pitching change in the middle of the at-bat on a 1-2 count. (T6: Auburn 8, Florida 6)
3-run home run gives Auburn the lead back
Miller stays in the game to start the sixth, and on the first pitch to Hastings, the ball is hit foul but playable — unfortunately, Thomas was unable to make the play. Gives the batter the chance to line a single up the middle to open things up on a high note for Auburn this inning.
Two pitchers are up and throwing in the Florida bullpen, and there’s a meeting in the circle between the coach, pitcher and catcher. But Miller stays in to face Walker, who watches four straight balls go by for the walk, and things are not looking good for the Gators at the moment.
Things look even worse after Adams sends a 67 mph offering over the fence in straightaway center to give Auburn a two-run lead. And that’s the end of the day for Miller. (T6: Auburn 8, Florida 6)
Florida can’t get much going in the fifth
Ratliff comes back in at catcher in place of Martin, who pinch ran for her, for the Tigers. Grover grounds out to shortstop on the third pitch she sees for the first out of the inning before McLellan draws a walk after forcing a full count, giving the Gators a runner at first with one out.
Wesolowski hits a hard grounder to first that is thrown to second for the force out, but Auburn is unable to turn the double play — so score that as a fielder’s choice. With two outs and a runner at first, Comia goes down 0-2 in the count before slapping a soft grounder up the middle that the shortstop throws to first for out No. 3. (E5: Auburn 5, Florida 6)
Auburn’s 2-out rally falls short
Miller opens up the fifth inning by getting Rodriguez to fly out to center field, which goes all the way to the warning track but lands in the fielder’s outstretched glove. Roebuck follows that with another fly to center field, this one the routine variety that is easily fielded.
Ratliff lines the ball just inside the third base line just past the diving fielder, and Wilson follows that with a liner into right for a single, starting what could potentially be a two-out rally. There is activity in Florida’s bullpen, and Tim Walton might be keeping his pitcher on a short leash here; meanwhile, Martin pinch runs for Ratliff.
Shaw strikes out swinging on a 68 mph fastball outside of the plate, ending the threat. (M5: Auburn 5, Florida 6)
Florida retakes lead on fielding error
Comia takes three straight balls to start the inning before hitting a 3-1 pitch for a swinging bunt infield single, just barely beating the throw from the first baseman to the second baseman covering the bag. Shumaker slaps a 50 mph changeup for a fly ball into center field for the first out.
There is a conference with Erickson as she comes up to the plate, while Auburn sends its coach to the circle for a chat with Herndon and her infielders. She sees three straight balls before watching strikes one and two go by; Comia steals second, just barely sliding under the tag.
A short pop fly off Erickson’s bat on the next pitch into shallow left field is misplayed by the shortstop for an error, allowing Comia to cross the plate, and the Gators get the lead back. The Auburn bullpen is active once again with two pitchers warming up.
Brown draws a full-count walk and Florida has runners at first and second with one out for Thomas, who starts her at-bat with a bunt attempt that goes foul. However, she goes down swinging on a tricky 51 mph changeup low and away for out No. 2.
Cahalan line out to right field to end the threat. (E4: Auburn 5, Florida 6)
Auburn knots things up at 5 runs apiece
Lefty Olivia Miller takes over in the circle for the Gators, Erickson moves over to first and Ella Wesolowski takes over for Walker in right field to start the fourth inning. Wilson works a full count before hitting a routine fly ball to right for the first out; Shaw hits a hard grounder through the right side to give Auburn a runner on first with one out.
During Hastings’ at-bat, a 68 mph rise ball goes way high and outside for a wild pitch, allowing the runner to scamper over to second; she then sneaks a low pitch into left field off the shortstop’s glove to put runners at the corners with one out.
Walker sends another grounder through the left side, bringing home the lead runner to tie the game at five. Adams grounds out to the shortstop, moving the runners up to second and third with two outs. A grounder to third off Womack’s bat is fielded and thrown to first to end the threat. (M4: Auburn 5, Florida 5)
Auburn’s relief pitcher gets out of third inning
Left-hander Abby Herndon takes over in the circle with a runner at first and one out, and on the third pitch — a 49 mph changeup low and outside — Grover steals second. However, McLellan goes down swinging for out No. 2. Herndon’s change is looking pretty nasty, baffling Florida hitters and inducing a flyout to center off Walker’s bat to end the threat. (E3: Auburn 4, Florida 5)
Florida plates four, takes first lead of the game
The Tigers send Georgia Lessmann in as a defensive replacement at first base before Schumaker sends a grounder just outside her reach into right field for a leadoff hit. Erickson begins her at-bat with a bunt foul; two pitches later, she takes a 66 mph pitch on the knee for a hit-by-pitch, giving the Gators two on with no outs.
Brown grounds to the shortstop and just barely beats the throw from the second baseman, preventing the double play on the fielder’s choice, but now Florida has runners on the corners with one out. Thomas drives in the lead runner with a line drive into the right-center field gap and the Gators are back in business with two runners in scoring position.
Cahalan works the count full before drawing a walk on a pitch low and outside that goes for a passed ball, allowing a pair of Gators to cross the plate thanks to a bad throw from the catcher to the pitcher covering home that hits the lead runner. The game is now tied at four apiece with a runner at second and still just one out.
Grover sends a hard grounder right down the line that the third baseman couldn’t get to in time, giving Florida its first lead of the day. And it looks like the end of the day for Harrison as Auburn makes a pitching change. (B3: Auburn 4, Florida 5)
Auburn adds three, almost gets more
Daigle Wilson enters the batter’s box to start the third, and proceeds to ground out to third on a 69 mph offering for out No. 1. Shaw follows that with a little opposite-field flare over a leaping shortstop into left for Auburn’s second hit of the day.
Hastings draws four straight balls and takes first base, giving the Tigers two on and one out with a runner in scoring position. Rothrock seems to be hitting a rough patch, bringing the coach to the circle for a brief chat after her fifth straight ball thrown; two pitches later, she hits Walker on a rise ball up and in that nips her elbow.
With the bases loaded and one out, Adams shows patience at the plate as Rothrock tries to nibble at the corners, and Florida’s bullpen now has two pitchers warming up. Adams sends a 70 mph rise ball into the left-center gap to plate three Tigers, aided by misplay on the throw to home; she makes it to third before the play is over.
Womack walks on four straight pitches and there is yet another conference in the circle. With runners at the corners and one out, Rodriguez flies out to right on the edge of foul territory that is not deep enough to get the sac fly — good news for the Gators — but the runner does advance to second.
Roebuck works a full count before a low 70 mph fastball sends her to first to load the bases again. Ratliff sends a hard liner into left, but an incredible leaping grab by the leftfielder near the warning track saves at least two runs from crossing the plate. (M3: Auburn 4, Florida 1)
Florida strikes back with its own solo home run
Kendall Grover immediately answers the Tigers with a line drive home run over the left field fence on a 61 mph riseball to knot things up at one.
Cassidy McLellan wastes no time making the first out, grounding the ball back to the pitcher, followed by a three-pitch strikeout by Madison Walker to make it two down. The No. 9 hitter, Gabi Comia, also strikes out, swinging at a 67 mph drop ball way out of the zone to end the inning. (E2: Auburn 1, Florida 1)
Auburn takes early lead on solo shot
Ma’Nia Womack leads off the second for the Tigers and sends a 1-2 pitch soaring over the right field fence for a solo home run — Auburn’s eighth home run of the tournament so far.
Destiny Rodriguez follows her by sending the second pitch to straightaway center for out No. 1. Haven Roebuck swings through a 65 mph rise ball slightly outside of the zone on a 1-2 count for the second out of the inning. Ava Ratliff sends another ball into straightaway center, which is caught cleanly for out No. 3. (M2: Auburn 1, Florida 0)
Florida threatens but cannot score
A 66 mph offering from Ella Harrison that just misses high and outside opens up the bottom of the first against Taylor Shumaker, who sends an opposite field line drive into left on a 1-2 count to give the Gators a runner with no outs. Jocelyn Erickson works a full count before flying out to right for the first out.
Ava Brown lines a single to the opposite side into right field and Shumaker advances to second, putting a runner in scoring position with one out. The cleanup hitter, Townsen Thomas, grounds into a fielder’s choice out to the second baseman, who throws to the shortstop to get Erickson at second.
With runners on the corners and two outs, Kenleigh Cahalan draws a 1-1 count before first base coach Kendray Falby comes out to talk to her in the batter’s box. Alas, a lineout to left field ends Florida’s threat. (E1: Auburn 0, Florida 0)
Auburn strands one-out walk
Keegan Rothrock opens up the game with a 70 mph fastball for a low strike to Kylie Shaw, who grounds back to her for a 1-2 out. Alyssa Hastings follows that up with a four-pitch walk to give the Tigers a baserunner with one out.
Rothrock throws two more balls to McKaela Walker, which brings the coach to the circle for a brief talk; she bounces back and throws three straight strikes and gets the batter looking on a 67 mph offering that nips the bottom of the zone.
AnnaLea Adams pops up to the second baseman to end the inning. (M1: Auburn 0, Florida 0)
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What channel is Florida vs. Auburn?
Florida vs. Auburn will be broadcast nationally on the SEC Network on Thursday, May 7. Kevin Brown, Amanda Scarborough and Alyssa Lang will be the broadcast crew at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. Streaming options for the game include Fubo.
Florida vs. Auburn time
The Florida vs Auburn game starts at 11 a.m. ET from John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky.
Florida vs Auburn starting pitchers
Florida vs Auburn starting lineups
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Live updates from Florida softball vs Auburn in SEC Tournament
Reporting by Adam Dubbin, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
