THURSDAY'S SCORES
@Auburn 4, SIUE 3 (8)
AUBURN 4, SIUE 3
AUBURN, Ala. - SIUE went eight innings Thursday with No. 2 Auburn, but the host Tigers walked off with a 4-3 victory at Jane B. Moore Field.
SIUE, 5-1, challenged the defending national runner-up in front of 1,886 fans by coming from behind against the Tigers, now 4-1.
The Cougars and the Tigers will have a rematch Friday in SIUE's opening game of the Plainsman Invitational. Game time is scheduled for 4:45 p.m. and precedes a single game against Evansville.
Auburn's Carmyn Greenwood recorded the walk-off hit to right field, scoring pinch runner Bree Fornis in the bottom of the eighth. Still, the game had a postseason feel to it for the Cougars.
SIUE fell behind early when SIUE starter Haley Chambers-Book walked the first batter of the game and then a two-run home run to Carlee Wallace.
The Cougars certainly didn't sit back and let the game get away. Chambers-Book used her bat to cut the lead to 2-1 in the third. The senior left-hander slashed an infield hit that allowed Paige Clinton to score from third.
Auburn, playing in their season opener, responded in the fourth with a solo home run by Kendall Veach to make the lead 3-1.
But don't count the Cougars out just yet.
Reagan Curtis, a freshman, drew a two-out walk off Auburn starter Makayla Martin. Tess Eby then singled to center and advanced to second on a misplayed ball by Auburn center fielder Victoria Draper. Curtis sprinted around the bases to cut the lead to 3-2.
Senior Allison Smiley then extended her hitting streak to six games with a bouncer over the third baseman and the shortstop into left field. Eby scored with no tag applied at the plate on the throw from left field.
Chambers-Book took the loss and is now 3-1. She struck out seven. Kaylee Carlson threw the final two inning for the Tigers and improved to 2-0.