![Auburn infielder Destiny Rodriguez (34) hits durning an NCAA softball game at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Friday, April 17, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_628,y_259,w_2064,h_1161/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/215/01kqze4crran3eyzqt9c.jpg "Auburn infielder Destiny Rodriguez (34) hits durning an NCAA softball game at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Friday, April 17, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
Ava Ratliff came to the plate at the top of the 7th with the game between Auburn and No. 13 Texas A&M, 8-8, and two runners on and two outs. The freshman used this moment to record her biggest hit in her young collegiate career, knocking a 3-2 fastball over the centerfield fence to give the Tigers an 11-8 lead.
When the ball off of Ratliff’s bat cleared the fence, the A&M players seemed stunned, with the centerfielder covering her mouth as she turned around to watch the Auburn player circle the bases.
AUBURN UPSETS THE NO. 13 AGGIES 😤#NCAASoftball x 🎥 SECN / @AuburnSoftball pic.twitter.com/IPeEL1DDeI
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 6, 2026
Ella Harrison didn’t waste the opportunity, sealing the deal in the bottom of the frame as Auburn upset the Aggies to reach the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.
“We talked about it being a new season going into this week,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux. “It’s truly been that. This is the team we’ve been waiting to see for a while. It’s so fun as a coach to be able to sit and watch. That game was wild.”
Wild, indeed.
“I’m proud of this team and proud of the fight.”
Ratliff’s heroics came just minutes after the Tigers (27-27) had allowed the Aggies to score three runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game. It was part of a stretch of two innings where A&M put five runs on the board, coming back from an 8-3 deficit to put some question marks in the mind of Auburn, which has struggled this season against quality teams like the Aggies.
Instead of lying down, the Tigers fought back, starting with a four-pitch walk earned by AnnaLea Adams to begin the inning. After a sacrifice bunt put pinch-runner Georgia Lessmann on second, she advanced to third on a single up the middle by Destiny Rodriguez. After a strikeout, Ratliff stepped up to the plate and delivered the stunning three-run dinger that served as the game-winner.
“I’m proud of this team and proud of the fight,” Malveaux said. “What you’re watching is truly what this team is made of.”
Auburn now faces No. 3 Florida on Thursday on 10 a.m. CT.
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